Everything She Does
by Kadi219
Summary: Raydor/Flynn - Post Season 2. The world changes quite unexpectedly once they give in to the idea of love, and they're faced with choices they never imagined.
1. Chapter 1

Everything She does

by Kadi

Rated T

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**A/N: **A review was left by user _**LaurieRoslin**_, in which she asked how I would approach the subject of an unexpected pregnancy. That's a very interesting topic, but it is hard to reconcile when trying to stay true to the overall feel of the show. That's not to say that I haven't enjoyed those that I have read, I really have, but reconciling it for myself has not been easy. I think, to each their own. I also believe that we should, whenever possible, be willing to try new things, and so, I have attempted to encompass the request, as means of a thank you. Creative license needed to be taken, although looking at MMcD it would be easy to believe her several years younger… we should all be so lucky! As such, I've shaved off just a few years. Laurie, your comments were wonderful and so appreciated. Enjoy!

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There was an undeniable look of panic that entered a woman's eyes when she realized that the stick in her hand was turning blue. A woman of a certain age, in any case. Pale, hands shaking, and eyes wide. Suddenly, what seemed funny hours before, wasn't funny anymore. Gavin was wise enough to duck when she started throwing things at him. He was a gay man who had never laid hands on her, but somehow, it was still _his_ fault. Probably for mentioning the possibility in the first place. When the shoes started flying, he dug his heels in.

"Why in Armani's name are you throwing things at me?" A six inch stiletto flew by his head. "I'm not the one that knocked you up!" The shoe missed him, the pillow did not. As always, every moment in his life was met with dramatic flare. Gavin fell back on the bed, arms spread wide. "I am unappreciated in my time. I rearranged my entire day to offer moral support, and you throw things at me." Gavin took the risk of raising his head. "You are an ungrateful friend." When she promptly burst into tears he felt like ten times a heel. He sat up and snaked one long arm out and caught her waist. Gavin tugged her to the bed and pulled her down with him. Then he tucked her against his chest and wrapped arms and legs around her. "Okay, okay," he crooned. "I'm an ass."

"Yes." She sniffed. Sharon wriggled closer and made herself just as small as she could. It was not difficult, with his long, lean lines, Gavin easily towered over her. She folded her hands into the front of his designer shirt, sniffled again. His cologne tickled her nose, but the familiar sent was comforting. The man easily spent thousands of dollars a year on suits and shoes, but wore the cologne his mother sent him every year for Christmas. It wasn't designer, and it wasn't expensive. It was _home_. That was why she loved him. Adored him, really. There were few, only a handful actually, who would ever know that the shrewd, hard as nails attorney was really just a big teddy bear. "My life is a farce," she mumbled against his chest.

"Well, I'm not arguing with that sweetness." Gavin lay his cheek atop her head and stroked her hair. "You must live the most ridiculous life of anyone I've ever met, and if I didn't love you so much, I'd turn it all over to a screenwriter and make millions off of your absurdity." When she pinched his side, he grinned. "Please don't bruise me, I'm delicate."

"A delicate pain in my a—"

"Yes, I know." He smirked, although she couldn't see it. She sounded more like herself, but she could do that having a root canal. Too much practice at pretending to be normal. It was the continued trembling that concerned him. "You must be, without a doubt, the single most fertile woman I know. Women all over LA loathe you. We could get you a cape. It could be written up as a super power. Gets knocked up in a single bound." He felt her shoulders shake and decided it was a laugh, although the sound she made could have been a sob. It was really anyone's guess at this point. Gavin stroked her back and sighed. "What happened? We had this talk."

"I had the IUD taken out three years ago," She mumbled without looking up. "I was perimenopausal, it was causing issues, and I was never going to let Jack touch me again anyway, so it wasn't a problem. I'm fifty-three years old, this should _not_ be an issue." She looked up at him then, seeming absolutely miserable with a side of stark terror. "Why is this happening to me?"

"If we really have to talk about how babies are made, I'm going to charge you by the hour," he said drily.

"I said _why_, not _how_." She rolled onto her back and dug the heels of her hands into her eyes.

"My mistake." He propped his head up in his hand. "Okay, let's not panic. You _are_ very old, it could be a false positive." It was his job to be the devil's advocate during these situations. It was a part he played so well.

"Six times?" She peeked through her fingers at him. "That was the sixth one that I've taken today. You've been pouring water down me for hours, and now you want to talk about false positives? Why did I call you," she asked, more than a little aggrieved.

"It wasn't just for my sparkling personality, comforting presence, and the free hugs?" He pouted at her. "I'm hurt." His blue eyed gaze narrowed. "Well, these are looking a little perkier than usual," he poked the side of her breast. "I thought it was new lingerie for your Lieutenant's benefit… looks like that isn't all that's been for his benefit." She glowered and Gavin gave her his most winsome smile. "You love me," He reminded her.

"I am asking myself why, even at this moment." Sharon said slowly.

"Hm." He shrugged. "Well, before we go into full meltdown mode, let me ask the pertinent question. Are you sure?"

She sighed. "I think I've known for a couple of weeks that _something _was going on. Until you said it, I didn't let myself go there. I'm too damned old."

"Why?" He shrugged. "Women all over the city are doing it every day, and some of them are older than you. It's not really that preposterous. We are nearing the realm of farce, but it's not really as bad as calling up the Enquirer or National Geographic. This is Los Angeles, my darling, another fifty-something mother to be is nothing to get worked up about."

"Okay," she closed her eyes. "We're really going to have this conversation. For one, I've raised my children. I'm still raising one that isn't exactly mine, but is, and that's just all sorts of complicated and awkward. I'm Catholic. I'm divorced. As if that wasn't bad enough, now I can add pregnant to the list of many ways that my life has spun out of control in the last five years." Sharon slowly massaged her temples. "Okay that wasn't fair. This isn't Rusty's fault." She couldn't love the boy more if he was hers. "It's yours."

"Again, I would like to remind the jury that I was not part of the activities that led to the revelations found here today," Gavin stated. "You're gorgeous and I love you, but you'e not my type, honey." He rolled over and threw his arm and leg over her again. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and closed her eyes tightly against the sting of tears that was threatening again. Her head rolled toward him, and she curled her arms around his. "What I always do, I suppose. The right thing. What else is new?" Her voice hitched, grew thicker. "Just like the last time."

He wasn't going to mention it. That was the underlying cause of the terror. The purpose of the IUD; because some twelve or so years ago, she let herself believe that her husband was willing to be a changed man. Jack left town three months later, and few weeks after that, Sharon was sobbing on Gavin's couch. He nuzzled her hair and held her just a little tighter as he thought back to the one pound and one ounce bundle that had come at only twenty-four weeks, and the little marble stone with the name Adam that was standing all alone in a family plot in a cemetery north of town. "That was different," Gavin stated. "It was a long time ago."

"Emphasis on the long," she murmured.

"When you are morose, darling, you are truly morose. I suppose anything worth doing right…" He nudged her and grinned. "Can I be here when you tell him?"

Her lips pressed tightly together. Sharon rolled her eyes toward him. "No you may not," she said at length. "This is not for your personal enjoyment, Gavin."

"Of course it is." He squeezed her. "I love a good farce." She elbowed him and he laughed. "It _was_ different," he said again. "That entire situation was unbelievably horrible from the start. Highly stressed, emotionally… just… horribly… bad." Gavin was rarely at a loss for words, but this time was different. "Not to mention you were working crazy hours, hardly sleeping, driving here, there, and everywhere to baseball or soccer, school, dance, recitals, auditions, games… It wasn't the right time."

She lifted her head and gave him an incredulous look. "And _now_ is the right time? Have you bumped your head!"

Gavin rolled on to his back and stared at the ceiling. "I'm comforting, and I get yelled at. I'm flippant, and I get yelled at. _My god_, you are hormonal." He grunted when the pillow landed against his chest. He slanted a look at her. "Really?"

"It's not hormones, honey, it's you." She smirked at him. Then she sprawled out beside him again and sighed. "What do I do?"

"What you always do," He reminded her. "Chin up, full speed ahead. Take no prisoners." He reached out and tugged on a long, dark curl. "It's not a farce," he whispered. "It's just a life."

"Hm." She closed her eyes while he stroked her back. "In eighteen years, I'll be 71. It's a farce."

"But you won't look a day over sixty," he promised with a smile.

"From your lips," she muttered.

"Don't worry, if nature fails you, I know a guy." He poked her hip. "Want me to go with you?"

Her lips pursed and she smiled. "You are very good at the hand holding," she recalled. "But this time, I think it might be someone else's job."

"Yeah," he smirked knowingly. "As much as you'd like to blame this on me, it is not, in fact, _my fault_."

"You encouraged me," she snarked. "I was perfectly happy until _you_ started planting ideas in my head."

"Oh sweetie, I didn't have to plant anything. You were already planning on going down that particular road. As I recall, my precise words were, do it or shut up about it. Or rather, do _him_ or shut up about it, but let's not get caught up in technicalities. I was simply talking about shaking off the cobwebs. I never said anything about moving him in, playing house, or anything else you've done this year."

"He did not move in." Sharon rolled on to her back again.

"Oh really?" Gavin sat up and looked pointedly around the bedroom. He lifted his brows at the leather jacket tossed across the back of a chair, it was much too big to be hers, and certainly was not his. There were ties on a hook on the back of the closet, a ball cap on the door knob, and a pair of reading glasses on the side of the bed of which he was laying. They were laying atop a book which, if he wasn't mistaken, was some sort of sports biography. "Want to try again?"

"He's still renting his own place," she muttered.

"Indeed," Gavin tilted his head. "Storage space." He clasped his hands in his lap. "It's another technicality upon which I would win, so we'll just let it go. I doubt it's really an issue _now_."

She buried her face in her pillow and groaned, loudly. "_Gavin_. One problem at a time. Please?"

"Yes, yes…" He rolled his eyes at her. "Well, the deed is done, and unless you're going to _undo_ it, which we both know you will not, suck it up princess."

She lifted her head and glowered at him. "I'm having a mid-life crisis here and you want me to _suck it up_?"

"Essentially." He smirked. "What's the big deal? It's a baby, not an STD."

"You are vile, perverse, and I cannot believe I talk to you about these things." She sniffed.

"You talk to me about these things because you want five minutes of wallowing followed by thirty minutes of realism, cushioned by just the right amount of comfort." He sank down beside her again. "Now, have we whined sufficiently for the day? Or is there wallowing yet to be done?"

"My life is spinning out of control, and you call it whining." She blew a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Thank you so much."

"Welcome." He grinned. "But the only thing spinning out of control here is your reproductive system."

"You are terrible," She said.

"You love me," he drawled.

"Adore you in fact." she lay her head on his shoulder again.

"I know." He smirked. "Just look on the bright side sweetie, you've never had a better reason to shop. Retail therapy here we come."

"Oh god!" Her hand slapped over her face again. "There goes my ass. There comes a time when you just don't bounce back."

"Well, I wasn't going to say it," he said drily. "You'll be fine. Just remember, I know a guy. Although, it is such a shame…" He craned his head to get a good look at it. "It was such a nice one too."

Her head shot up again. "_Was_?"

"Oh honey, you said you had suspected for a while. What was your first clue." He gave her hips a pointed look.

"I take it back," she decided. "I despise you."

"Too late," he sing-songed. "You adore me. No take-backs, as the kids would say. Speaking of, where is the little ray of sunshine? Shouldn't he be toddling home about now?"

"Fishing." She decided that arguing with Gavin would take too much energy at the moment and lay her head back down. "One of my Lieutenants took his grandsons and invited Rusty along. They'll be gone the entire weekend. If nothing else, my wallowing is always well timed."

"I had noticed that," his brows lifted. "I am in awe of your superior planning skills. Well done."

"Thank you." She went back to chewing on her bottom lip. "It's not a farce?"

"Nope." He swept a hand through her hair again. "Mildly humorous, somewhat worrisome, but definitely two years shy of farcedom. Excellent timing, as we decided."

"What am I supposed to tell people?" Her nose wrinkled.

"As if you've ever cared _or_ it's anyone's business. Don't say a word. If they ask, well…" He shrugged. "There's only one word you need to practice."

Sharon drew a breath and closed her eyes. This should prove to be good. "That is?"

"Oops." He flashed a wide, cheerful grin.

It was as she had expected. "You're getting predictable."

He gasped, all too dramatically. "Bite your tongue!"

"No, it's true. I knew that was coming," she smirked at him.

"Darling, that doesn't make me predictable, it makes you unerringly genius," he decided.

"Yes, we'll go with that," she laughed.

The sound of keys hitting the dresser drew their attention. "Hi honey, how are you feeling? Better, that's great. What did you do today? Read a book, watched a movie, rolled around in bed with another man." He placed his phone, badge, and his gun on the dresser and turned. "That's great." He walked out of the bedroom again. "Gavin, it's always a pleasure."

The lawyer lifted his head to follow the man's departure. "A lesser man would be threatened by this. I'm so glad that this one actually likes me."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him and shoved away from him. She rose in the same fluid motion and pointed a finger at him. "Not a word," she ordered.

He held his hands up. "Why would I ruin all the fun of your silent deliberating, worrying and desperation? Please, the floor show is far too entertaining."

"Go home, Gavin." She strode out of the bedroom.

"Oh, sure…" He threw his hands up in exasperation. "All the hard work and none of the pay off. You don't deserve me," he called after her.

"Good bye, Gavin!" Sharon followed her lover's movement into the kitchen and found him staring into the open refrigerator.

"Well, that's just a fine thanks I get." He got up and smoothed his clothes out. He strolled toward the living room and toed back into his shoes. "Call me," he stated. He wanted to know how it all turned out, as if there were any doubt that she would, in fact, be calling him at some point with a full report. If it went badly, she'd be at his door, but he was hoping for a phone call. "Lieutenant Flynn, always a joy."

He leaned back against the counter and lifted the bottle of apple juice. "Gavin."

Sharon waited for Gavin to leave before rolling her eyes. "Remind me that his ego needs pruning again." She leaned against the bar and watched him. Beneath the oversized t-shirt that she wore, his, she also wore a pair of shorts. She rubbed her foot against the back of her bare calf while she deduced that he was amused.

"Sure." Andy tilted his head at her and grinned. "His ego needs pruning."

She made a face at him and pushed away from the bar. "Funny guy."

"I try." He moved out of the kitchen and slipped an arm around her. "Okay?" There was something odd, and just a bit fragile about her. She hadn't felt well for several days, which could lend itself to the cause, and that she actually took a sick day was cause enough for worry. He couldn't recall a single day, in several years that _Sharon_ had taken a day off for herself due to illness or any other reason. Certainly not in the two years since she'd taken over Major Crimes.

"Hm." She shrugged at him, but smiled, even if it was a bit tremulous. "I really don't know the answer to that yet, but can we agree to talk about it when I do?" She tipped her head back and looked up at him, eyes searching. The little quiver that went through her was uncontrollable, but Gavin's flippant, and somewhat comforting reassurance aside, it wasn't a subject that she was ready to visit with him at present. She _was_ fairly certain at the answer, but until speaking with a medical professional and ruling out all other concerns, possibilities, and having facts in hand… well, another day or two wouldn't matter. The appointment was made, Gavin had simply proposed putting her mind at ease. That had proven to be an epic failure.

Andy's hand cupped her chin while he studied her face. There was something bothering her, but she wasn't exactly evading the question. Her answering gaze was almost pleading. It wasn't a refusal to discuss, it was a gentle request for a delay. "You sure?" It was mildly irritating, and altogether too worrisome, this not knowing. Yet, she wasn't closing him out. He could read her easily. She was allowing him that.

"I am," she said gently. Her hand came up to curl around his wrist. "We _will_ talk," she promised. "I just need a little time. If it helps, I can say right now that I don't think anything is _wrong_."

"Okay." He ran his hand down her side. His lips were soft against hers. "I can do that." Then he curled his arm around her and drew her close. She wasn't the type to cling, but she burrowed close and held on tightly. He dropped a kiss to the crook of her neck, just above the t-shirt she wore.

"Thank you," she murmured against his chest. "I love you." Although she had said it before, it was important to her that he know that, before their world changed completely. Whatever the result, life was about to change.

Andy drew back and looked down at her. His hands slid into the thick curtain of her hair and cupped her head between his large palms. He tipped her head back and looked into her eyes again. The emotion in them, love, affection, and something else that he could not quite define and would not call fear, combined to make his chest constrict. His mouth brushed gently across hers, only the slightest caress. "Love you," he said against her mouth. When her arm snaked around his neck and drew him closer, he let her. He pulled her tight against him and enjoyed the feel of her soft warmth. He would give her the time she needed, there was little that he could deny her now, she was too much a part of him.

Whatever had brought Gavin to her side, he would know in time. She was deliberate in everything, even her personal life. She would not leap without full consideration. She was rattled, and he was worried, but he had no reason to doubt her. She was not a woman prone to half measures, and the same was true of her heart. When she loved, she loved fully, and for that, he knew he was damned lucky. Andy could hold his hot-tempered curiosity at bay, for a time. Soon enough, the answers would come.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything She Does - Chapter 2

by Kadi

Rated: T

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The exam rooms were always cold. That seemed to be counterintuitive to the process of having patients remove their clothing and don the always ridiculously thin and completely unflattering paper gowns. If your profession required that your clients, patients in this case, be nude - more or less, given that paper did little to actually conceal anything - then it would stand to reason that the room in which you asked your patients to wait be at least moderately heated. It was not the first time that she had that thought, and she was quite certain that she was not the only woman to whom that idea had occurred. It really was lacking a bit in common sense.

Those were the thoughts which occupied her mind while she sat on the end of the exam table, silently counting the specks in the floor tile, and thinking anything beyond the purpose of the visit. There was no point in getting herself worked up, not until there was something concrete to be worked up about. The more the idea lingered in her head, the more she was convinced that what she had intuitively known was indeed factual. It wasn't only that her favorite skirt had not wanted to fit that morning, the zipper finding itself stuck in the halfway position. Nor was it that she rather enjoyed her morning showers with Andy, and the last two mornings her body had been just too tender, overly sensitive and completely uncooperative.

It was that alien feeling that she remembered from the first three times. The stretch of time between each might have been longer than she would like to think about, and ridiculous in its own right, but it was all coming back to her. Tender breasts, an aching fullness in her lower abdomen, the hormonal imbalance that was causing her emotions to shift without warning or reason. The fatigue, heavens the _fatigue_. She had almost fallen asleep at dinner last night, and just earlier that day, it was all she could do to keep her eyes open while at her desk. Sharon tipped her head back and exhaled slowly. There was a part of her that wished she had allowed Gavin to accompany her. At least she would have someone who could make her laugh about the absurdity of the position she was currently in.

A knock sounded at the door before it opened. Doctor Evelyn Blaire stepped into the room and regarded her patient with a look that was a cross between sympathy and comfort. She had been treating Sharon long enough to read her facial expressions and mood. She was only a resident on call the night that Charlotte Raydor was born, and had attended that birth in the absence of the then Mrs. Raydor's vacationing OB-GYN. During the follow-ups, they'd found a much easier rapport than with the previous physician, and so Sharon had made the switch. Evelyn had been with her throughout the truncated third pregnancy, and the heartache of that premature delivery. Now, she closed the door quietly behind her and walked forward with the patient chart in hand.

"You were right," Evelyn said gently. "I ran it the second time myself, just to be sure."

Sharon closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Alright." Now she knew. It was real. There could be no more quivering over it. It was time to move on. "What's next?"

"I'm going to want a few more tests," the doctor said. "We'll want to see just how far into this we are, and depending on that, there are options…" Her patient shook her head and she smiled, no, she hadn't thought so either. "Then we'll leave that off the table unless it becomes necessary further down the road. From the look of you, I don't have to tell you that at your age… well, we've had this talk before. You'll be even higher risk this time, you aren't forty anymore. We have improved a few things in the last ten or so years, namely the genetic testing. I'm going to want to look for any abnormalities…"

"Basically the same routine as last time," Sharon stated, "with a few new surprises tossed in." She didn't mean to be impatient, but delving into the negatives wasn't going to make her _feel_ any better. She'd already thought of all those things. It was an ill-advised, high-risk, complicated situation. "Let's just start at the beginning and take it from there, please?"

Doctor Blaire held the chart in her hands a moment more before shaking her head. "Sharon, are you really sure? I'm not going to talk you into or out of anything, but I wan't to be completely realistic here."

"I know," she smiled gratefully. "The thing is, you aren't going to say anything that I haven't already thought about a thousand times. It is absolutely, completely, and without a doubt totally ridiculous, but it is not a situation that I can resolve. Not on my own. There are other factors that I have to take into account, and I'm not saying that my mind is completely made up, but I need a little more information before I can proceed." She shrugged. "I'm not alone this time, and he really deals better when there are facts so…" She waved a hand, as though asking that they get on with it.

"Okay then." Evelyn smiled. "Let's get started." She pulled the door open and had the nurse join them.

The next hour was spent completing the full exam, which involved the expected blood work and ultrasound which had confirmed more accurately what they already knew. It was difficult to pinpoint the exact gestation but they could estimate ten weeks based upon size. That meant the clock was ticking on any decisions which needed to be made, and the Doctor would rush the blood work through the lab as much as she could.

"We're looking good right now," Evelyn reported. "Everything checks out as normal. Your blood pressure was on the elevated side, but I think we can keep an eye on it." She held out a slip of paper with a prescription scrawled on it. "I think you know the drift."

Sharon wrinkled her nose as she took it. "I wasn't the least bit nauseous until now." The prenatal vitamins only made the morning sickness that much worse. With Ricky it hadn't been horrible. With Charlotte she felt as though she were ill morning, noon, and night. The last time, it was some odd mixture of the two and seemed to fluctuate with her stress levels.

"Yes, I know." The doctor smiled, understanding fully. She had two children of her own. "They're only so wonderful for the appetite." She stood at the in-room computer terminal, making notes. "I want you back in two weeks. We'll have the test results by then and plan on any further discussions. We're going to be seeing an awful lot of each other, if you choose to proceed. You'll need to tell Theresa up front what times work best for your schedule."

Sharon snorted. "That's going to prove interesting all on its own." She rubbed her forehead. "Yes, thank you, Doctor Blaire."

"Get dressed, talk to Theresa. I'll see you in two weeks." She finished noting the electronic chart and withdrew from the room.

The moment she was alone Sharon dropped back onto the exam table and heaved a sigh. It was real.

"My life is a farce," she muttered to herself.

Sharon dressed and left the exam room. She made arrangements for her next appointment and then sat in her car for ten minutes while exchanging text messages with Gavin. She was dodging his calls. All she would tell him was _not yet, _and he was threatening to hold her down and walk her through it like a ventriloquist with a dummy. At which point she reminded him that she was armed, but such was the nature of their relationship.

She had blocked off the afternoon, and told Lieutenant Provenza to handle whatever came up. She was not to be disturbed. That had led to a diatribe about doing her work for her, and it was really all so much bluster. She had endured it, allowed him to have his fun. Andy wanted so badly to ask. He was trying so hard to be patient and to respect her request for time, but his patience was coming to an end. He could only stand so much, and she couldn't blame him. To him, she knew that she was acting oddly.

Rusty didn't want to know. They had agreed on a non-interference policy when it came to certain relationships of a personal nature. Whatever was going on between her and Flynn, he was steadfastly ignoring it. Sharon was rather glad for that, it was complicated enough as it was without pulling her foster son into it. That relationship still had its tenuous moments. He was still awkward and insecure about many things, but it was an evolving situation, constantly improving. Introducing a new variable into the equation was going to prove interesting, at best.

She couldn't think about it, though. At least not yet. There was only so much that her mind was willing to cope with at the moment. Andy first, and then Rusty. It went against almost everything that she had become these last two years. Everything had become about Rusty. Protecting Rusty. Providing a home for Rusty. Caring for Rusty. Keeping Rusty. Now she had to shut that side of herself down, at least temporarily, and it caused an almost physical ache. It made her feel absolutely terrible, even a bit guilty, but it was absolutely necessary for the next little while.

Andy walked into a quiet condo. There was a home cooked meal, and she had even picked up some of those little pastries that he liked for dessert. Sharon was still walking around, quiet and just a bit withdrawn. He would classify it more as being locked within her own thoughts. That in itself was worrisome. For a man of any age, in love with a woman well out of his league, watching your girlfriend walk around bothered by something she proclaimed to share _in time_ was one thing. Hearing her say, _We need to talk, _was enough to make a man's blood run ice cold.

It was that moment he was waiting for. The one which had been dancing around at the back of his mind since this thing with them began. It was the moment when she cut him loose, and he steeled himself against the inevitable. Once they were alone in her bedroom, which he had come to think of as theirs, he sat on the edge of the bed and let his hands hang loosely between his knees, while his arms were braced on his legs. The ache had started, low in his chest and spread through his belly. It churned, tightening in a hard knot. His jaw clenched while he watched her pace the interior of the room. When she did finally look at him there was such abject anguish in her gaze that he had trouble drawing another breath.

"_Sharon_." His dark eyes were hooded. He gritted her name between his teeth and heaved a deep sigh. "Just say it." She would need to be the one. He wasn't strong enough to walk away, not unless she asked.

It wasn't often that words failed her. She fidgeted with her hands, picking at her nails. It was just so awkward. She chewed on the corner of her lip and walked over to sit beside him. "Andy." She breathed his name and leaned in to him, shoulders touching. She needed that connection at least. "It.. I don't… _Damnit_." Her head dropped back and she moaned pitifully. "This is so absurd," she said, frustrated at her own inability to speak, and the situation as a whole.

"Come here." Andy scooted back on the bed, until he was leaning against the headboard and drew her with him, between his legs. He curled his arms around her and lay his chin against her shoulder. "It's okay." It was going to hurt like hell, but he couldn't stand to see her so torn up over it. He would continue to hold her, just as long as she'd let him.

"I hope you say that again in a few minutes." She lay her head back against him and drew his arms more tightly around her. She closed her eyes and drew another tremulous breath. "Andy, the first thing you need to understand is that it is okay to laugh. It is not a joke, and I am one-hundred percent aware of the ridiculous nature of what I am about to say." Sharon looked up at him with her slightly worried gaze. "I'm pregnant."

"I can get my stuff out—" He stopped. Andy frowned and stared at her. That was certainly not what he expected to hear. His mouth worked but no sound was forthcoming. He held up a hand, but then shook his head when still there were no words making it across the barrier between his mouth and brain. He blinked a few times and finally shook his head. That was not a statement he expected, not at his age. Not when he was staring down at sixty and it was getting closer all the time. Maybe, he decided, he heard her wrong. "What?"

There was such wide-eyed bewilderment in his eyes that she smiled. His statement registered, however, and she tightened her grip on his arms. "You thought I was telling you to leave?" Sharon drew her bottom lip between her teeth and blinked back the sting of tears. "Oh Andy… No. Definitely not. I'm so sorry. I suspected, but I wasn't sure. I wanted to _know_ before I said it out loud."

He slowly shook his head. "That shouldn't even be possible." It was all he could think of to say, and it made him cringe. He felt like nine kinds of terrible about it. "Hell." He ran a hand through his hair.

"I know." Sharon sighed. "It's ridiculous. I'm well aware. It is ill-advised, complicated, and so very, very absurd." She reached for his arms and pulled them around her again. "It's okay to say it, I have. I'm fifty-three years old, this is not the conversation we're _supposed _to be having. We should be talking about _anything_ else."

"This is why Gavin was here," he said instead, suddenly understanding what would bring the lawyer running and why she would have been so pensive and worried. Andy scowled, somewhat perturbed that the lawyer had known before he had. "You told Gavin?"

"I did." She tilted her head at him. "I needed to indulge my inner drama queen. I know that isn't fair, but he is my best friend."

"I know." He ground his teeth together again and decided to let it go. It wasn't important. He was focusing on the wrong things, mainly because it was hard to focus his mind at all at that precise moment. She had been so pensive, and so worried, and still there was something a bit… fragile… about her. It wasn't a term he would ordinarily use where Sharon was concerned. His fear returned, almost tenfold. More than anything he was reminded that this was not exactly the natural order of things. Creating a life was terrifying all on its own. He had been down that road. They both had. Their children were grown. They were at a point in their lives where they should be looking toward raising _grand_children together, not a baby of their own. It was, as she had said, utterly absurd. Yet, there they were. Andy shifted her in his arms and tucked her tightly against him. "Are you _okay_?" It was first and foremost the most important thing he needed to know.

"Hm." She shrugged. "I don't know," she said honestly. "Physically I am perfectly fine, except for the obvious. My age has placed a definite question mark on the entire situation. For the moment, I'm healthy." She snuggled against him and enjoyed the feel of his arms around her. Comforting though he was in his own way, and as much as she adored him, Gavin was a poor substitution for the real thing. It was _this _which she had craved. "Mostly, I've just been asking myself how I could be so stupidly irresponsible."

His lips pressed against her temple. One hand slid down her back, the other rubbed her thigh while he held her cradled against him. "Well, when you find the answer let me know. It might take you a while, Sharon. I don't remember you climbing on top of yourself at any point in all this."

It was, in that moment, and in his own gruff way, the absolute right thing to say. She nuzzled against his jaw. "I love you. Whatever else happens, or that we decide, know that."

Andy tipped her face back and gazed down at her. "It's a two way street, babe. I love you and it comes back to that, always."

"Yes," she breathed. Her finger tips brushed lightly against his cheek. "What do we do now?"

"Hell if I know," he said in all honesty. "But we're going to have to figure it out."

"Fairly soon," she told him. "We are about ten weeks in to this thing."

"You know, if we lived anywhere else this would be a farce. I've never been happier to be living in Los Angeles in my life," Andy let his head fall back against the headboard.

"Thank you," she said, and meant it. "You're the only person willing to agree that my life is a farce."

He arched a brow at her. "Gavin?"

"We're normal for LA. I'm actually, apparently, young for the current trend." She shuddered. "It's a bit preposterous if you ask me."

"Agreed." His head inclined. "Okay. So we talk about it. You know, let's treat it like we would anything else. I'll ask the obvious question first, and you answer with the first thing that comes to mind. We don't have to go with it, but we'll put it on the table."

"Alright." She sat up a bit and shook her hair back. "Go for it."

"Abortion."

"No."

There was no hesitation, and in response, his hand simply stroked the length of her leg, from knee to ankle. "I'd say that settles it then." There was no reason to explore it further, he would support either decision fully.

Her eyes closed. "I suppose I just needed to say it. I'm sorry. That isn't exactly fair, it should at least be discussed. It might actually be the right thing to do given the circumstances, but I can't seem to wrap my head around it."

He cupped her cheek and smiled. Andy shrugged. "Babe, you had me at no. It was your first, immediate, gut reaction. That's all I gotta know."

"That doesn't actually leave a lot of options, does it?" She asked, and despite the situation, a smile curved her lips.

"I'm sorry," he shrugged. "Call me old school. What else is there to talk about?" His brows drew together and he gave her a concerned look. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Only if you _want_ me to shoot you," she replied with a smile.

"You are so hot when you're armed," he husked.

"Down boy," she snorted at him. "That's what got us into this predicament."

"You seduced me with your violent, gun wielding ways," he drawled. "What was I supposed to do?"

She laughed. "Well, this was not the result I was going for." Sharon turned in his arms so that she was straddling him. "So then… this is happening?"

He was still reeling from the initial announcement, but he nodded. "This is happening. Unless you're prepared to tell me that this is some crazy practical joke that you cooked up with Gavin?" Her eyes narrowed and Andy nodded. "Then it's happening."

"I don't want to tell anyone yet," she said. "There are some tests yet to do, and in a few weeks the amnio…" It would not be her first time around that little curve in the road either. It wasn't pleasant and the waiting was excruciating. "We may be right back here discussing options in a few weeks."

"That's understandable." It seemed more than reasonable to keep it to themselves, until they knew what lay ahead of them. "We keep it right here," he gestured to the two of them. His hands settled against her sides and fell to her hips. "I wanna go the next time. You aren't alone in any of this. You know that, right?"

"I know," she said quietly. She cupped his face and bent, kissing him gently. "I just needed to confirm or deny what I suspected."

"Yeah." Andy sighed. "I get that. I do… but here's the thing. If we're going to be honest with each other, that means we have to be honest. It doesn't really work if we're only half-honest. But believe me, the irony of _me_ saying that is not lost on me." His hands rubbed up and down the sides of her thighs in a comforting gesture. "This one is kind of a big deal."

"And _that_ is not lost on me." She exhaled slowly and shook her head. "The thing is, I could have very well been wrong, and then—"

"Doesn't matter," he told her. "Look, we're in this together, or we're not. And I ain't just talking about being pregnant or not. I love you. I'm here, Sharon. Unless you decide otherwise, I'm not goin' anywhere." Andy reached up and swept a lock of hair behind her shoulder, then traced the side of her neck. "Got it?"

"Hm." She nodded, momentarily unable to speak. Tears blurred her eyes. She traced the outline of his face and leaned forward to softly kissed him. "Got it," she whispered against his mouth. "You know, the downside of jumping into a relationship at our age is that we both come with baggage. It can be an upside too," she acknowledged. "Thing is, you're absolutely right. You are here, and I'm not exactly used to that. I'll try to d—"

His thumb covered her mouth, silencing her. "We'll figure it out." Andy exhaled on a low, rumbling laugh. "We're going to have to, seems like it's not just us now."

"Yes, so it seems." Her head tilted, her face settled into a soft, warm expression. "Might not be so bad. Feels like a little bit of the old, if I had known then what I know now, made reality. Doesn't mean that any of what we are about to face is going to be even remotely easy. This is somewhat… life altering."

"Somewhat?" He gave her a wry look. "You pick some odd moments to be optimistic, Sharon. I think we should just say it how it is. Our lives are turning upside down and we are staring down a road that is chalk full of insanity. We are…"

"_Old_," she stated with a grin. "You can say it, Andy. I'm fifty-three, honey. I have no illusions about this stage in my life. You aren't going to offend me, I've been saying it plenty."

"I was going to say seasoned," he said, making a face at her. "We can go with old if it makes you feel better."

"Well, you wanted me to be honest," Sharon smirked.

"I'm trying to have a moment here," he huffed in mock exasperation. "This is me being the supportive boyfriend and you're completely blowing my entire speech."

"Oh, yes, of course. My apologies." She sat up a bit straighter on his lap and shook her hair back. Her eyes gleamed. "Go ahead."

"No, now you've ruined it." He exhaled loudly. "I'm going to go back to being hardheaded and obtuse."

"Ah, but you're so very good at that too," she drawled. Sharon laughed when his arm curled around her and she was flipped onto her back. He loomed over her, eyes suddenly dark. When he drew her arms over her head and held them against the mattress, she arched beneath him. Her head lifted off the bed, meeting him halfway in a kiss that had heat curling through her. She pressed herself against the length of his body and slowly drew her legs up to twine around his hips.

When Andy drew back, it was only by small degrees, and only to gaze into her face. Her eyes were pools of dark jade, staring back at him beneath heavy lids. Her lips were swollen and turned slightly downward in the near pout that he found sexy as hell, and always made him want to kiss her again, and again, until he could lose himself in her completely. When she moved beneath him, the tiniest shift, the slightest press of her soft body against him, he exhaled a low groan and pressed against her in answer. He saw the answering response in the darkening of her eyes, and the way her teeth tugged impatiently at her bottom lip.

"This is really happening," he said, repeating their earlier statements. It was still surreal, hard to completely comprehend or imagine.

"It really is," she said quietly, voice thick, rasping with emotion and desire. She tugged on her hands and he released them. Sharon lifted her head and her lips brushed his, a simple caress, hardly a kiss at all. Her hands moved to his shoulders and one slipped down his arm to fold around his much larger hand. A simple nudge, the twist of her hips was all it took to roll him off of her and move atop him.

Her hair fell over her shoulder, cascading in dark, layered waves over one shoulder. She held his gaze for just a moment, and took the hand she held to press against her stomach, high just beneath her chest. Then slowly drew it downward, and beneath the hem of her simple, fitted t-shirt to the low waist of her yoga pants. Her gaze dropped while she followed the progression of their joined hands with her eyes, the corner of her lip was drawn beneath her teeth. She held is hand there, low over her abdomen, allowing him to feel what she had attempted to deny. It was hard, and there was just the slightest rounding. Enough so that certain items of clothing no longer fit, but hardly noticeable at all to those unaware of what lay beneath. Her eyes lifted, slowly, and she watched his reaction. It mirrored hers. Enough wonder to pay due to the act of creating new life, but there was worry. There was fear and uncertainty. The road they were facing would not be simple, and it might not end well. It was certainly not of their choosing, but it was real, and neither of them were turning away.

Andy drew her back down to him and rolled, so that they were laying on their sides, facing one another. He tucked her hair behind her ear and traced the curve of her cheek. "Reality is a bitch," he said, stating the obvious. "We might not like where this leads us."

"Yes," she agreed quietly. Once again, she was laying in her bed, with a man she loved, a man she trusted more than anything, quietly discussing the uncertainty of the future. "There are no guarantees. There are health concerns, defect concerns, risk concerns…" Sharon sighed. There seemed to be more stacked against than for. It was what made it so very ill-advised and ludicrous. "Our kids may be livid, they may not, it's really hard to say. We may find that we never have to tell them at all."

Her voice hitched just enough, with just the slightest tremor, that he pulled her closer. "Or it may be fine. There are no guarantees, like you said. Let's not think too far ahead yet. Start with a day at a time. We don't know what's going to happen next week, but we can do a day. That's nothin', it's easy."

"Easy," she echoed with a smile. "Okay. Just a day. We can do that."

He curled a lock of hair around his finger. "Good. If you could also refrain from rolling around in bed with other men, that would be great too."

She saw the humor in his eyes, and shoved him away playfully. Sharon sat up, but he drew her back down, this time, her back to his chest. His arms engulfed her completely, and he pressed his face into her neck. A hand splayed across her stomach, beneath her breasts. The other drifted lower, until she sighed and covered it with her own. It was real, it was happening, and they were facing it together.


	3. Chapter 3

Everything She Does - Chapter 3

by Kadi

Rated: T

* * *

Over the months since the start of their relationship, they had become accustomed to keeping their joint personal lives under wraps and out of the prying eyes of others. Yes, there were those who knew about them, but there was a time and a place for every look, every touch, and every smile. The pregnancy became another factor of their relationship that was shared strictly between them. It was not discussed outside the quiet sanctuary of the condo, primarily Sharon's bedroom when Rusty was at home. If Andy watched her a little more closely the rest of the time, it was not discussed.

They didn't always need words to communicate.

If she seemed slightly more pale than was usual, a simple tilt of his head and a lift of his brows expressed concern. She could read the silent question, and answer in kind. She would blink slowly, and allow an almost imperceptible nod to indicate that she was okay. When she disappeared into her office for longer than was strictly necessary, he would text her at regular intervals to help her remain awake, and to check on her as well. Andy volunteered for autopsy reports, providing a second officer, often before Sharon was forced to find some way of declining or suffering through. Smell, they found, more than anything, made her nauseous. But he was subtle about it, always mindful of who might be watching or listening. Always aware that they were under a microscope as it was given their positions on the team.

It was little things, like rubbing her feet after a long day, or tucking her in to bed the moment they walked through the door if she seemed ready to drop. Not a single word need be spoken, it was always just enough.

The days blended together until her next doctor's appointment. Andy was with her, although it had taken some juggling and careful planning to make that happen without anyone being the wiser. Her test results were in from the initial blood work, and despite all the odds, everything was normal. A second ultrasound was done, just to confirm the size estimates from the first. The heartbeat, they found, was strong. They had a seemingly normal, well formed, fetus of approximately twelve weeks.

They had to ask themselves how it was that they seemed to be at the center of some odd, cosmic joke, and yet… some other power was on their side.

Their odds were good, but they weren't out of the woods yet. The light at the end of that long, narrow path could be elusive. Cautiously optimistic, those were the words that her doctor used. Andy had always hated hearing that. Someone was either optimistic, or they weren't. Cautiously optimistic made it sound as though she didn't know at all, and perhaps she didn't. They looked around, they did the research. They weren't alone in this trend of having babies beyond a certain age. That made them feel moderately better, but it didn't change the fact that it wasn't planned and perhaps that sense of upheaval that they felt had a lot to do with those around them and the general sense that this wasn't only about _them_.

There was the matter of their families. As to most of her family, Sharon dismissed it. They would accept it or not, and she wasn't losing any sleep over that. Her life was her own, and had always been. She had separated herself from thoughts of how they viewed her during the long years of her marriage to Jackson. It was her children that she worried about. Richard and Charlotte were grown, they had lives of their own and were pursuing them miles away. Charlotte on the opposite side of the country with her dancing, and Richard in Sacramento, at the law firm her father started and had passed down to the next generation. Then there was Rusty, not technically hers, but the child of her heart. Her son, for all intents and purposes. That relationship was still tenuous at times. He had his insecurities, and it was all understandable and they were working on that. She wanted him, when no one else did, and he was clinging to that. But his mother was still out there, this specter of an existence, this memory that would remain with him.

Rusty had accepted her relationship with Andy with his usual teenage grace; which amounted to a steady stream of eye-rolls and shuddering. He complained only about displays of affection, and always in good humor, right before disappearing to give them their time alone. He teased her about it, and with all the turmoil which had surrounded them the previous year and during the first weeks of January, it was good to see his spirits returning to their normal state of awkward and sarcastic. He was a good boy. Bright and funny, and adored. He would likely never know how much. She worried this would send him away. That or he would be as disgusted as her other children, in which case he would fit right in.

It wasn't as though this was something they could hide forever. Sooner or later the news had to be shared. As it stood during the intervening weeks between confirmation and the looming amniocentesis, Sharon was doing interesting things with loose, flowing blouses and scarves. A nice dress with the right cut, paired with a blazer, and Andy could almost see how no one had figured it out yet. He was mourning the loss of her heels, though. She had traded them for the more sensible, two-inch pumps, or flats depending on the day and how she felt. There were, however, other benefits that he was _quite _enjoying. She had a couple of blouses, cut at just the right level to show off other enhancements that had nothing to do with her waistline. His wandering gaze had earned him a smirk or a light slap more than once. He enjoyed looking at her, and from the way her eyes lit, and the light flush that always colored her cheeks, he knew that _she_ knew that he liked it... and she didn't exactly mind it either.

The closer they got to the day of the amnio, the more pensive she became. There was tension rolling off her in waves, and the more she tried to conceal it, the more apparent it became. Her emotions could shift at the drop of a hat, literally, any hat. It was bothersome, to her at least. She was so very compartmentalized and controlled, the disruption had her reeling. It was becoming most noticeable at work. What would have mildly irritated, or even amused her before, was having a different effect. The team began to notice, and Andy simply shrugged when they looked at him, as if he didn't know.

She wasn't the only one feeling it, and he didn't have the excuse of hormonal shifts to explain his mood and temper. Their was a cloud hanging over their heads, and it was the unknown of what they would face with the more extensive testing. She was a decisive woman, and standing on the edge of something that she could not control or predict was at the heart of her distress. For Andy it was knowing that he couldn't help her. He could be there, waiting alongside her, but there was nothing that he could do fix this for her.

That was ultimately what had driven him up to the roof on the morning of their amnio appointment. Their ongoing investigation had hit its stride and Sharon insisted on coming into the station prior to driving across town to the clinic. It was easier than sitting at home waiting, he knew, but that hadn't helped his frustration. Now she was upset because he was frustrated with her, and it was the entire situation that was tilting their world on its axis. Knowing this would happen and then experiencing it were two different things. He felt like a heel. He could tell himself that having her angry at him one moment, then near to tears in the next breath was a symptom of her ever shifting hormones, but it didn't change it. Andy still felt like an ass for making _her_ feel like an ass.

He was short-tempered and surly, and the look she shot at him, just half an hour before, had indicated he should rein it in, and quickly. Andy glared back at her, with just as much heat, and then felt badly at the slightly startled look in her eyes before she hid it behind her usual mask of professionalism. Ten minutes later she was smiling at him again, and it had only enlarged the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Andy stood near the ledge of the building, hands stuffed into his pockets. It was a bright day, the shining sun was entirely _not_ what his mood needed at the moment. It was cheerful, full of hope and warmth and he was... _not_. Shades covered his eyes, blocking out the light while he stared out at the city. The crunch of gravel beneath shoes drew his attention, Andy glanced over. He sighed, shoulders slumping a bit at the sight of his partner. "Don't start."

Louis Provenza's eyes narrowed. "Stop acting like a bastard, and I won't have to start." He shook his head and heaved an exasperated sigh. "This was why I told you to stay away," he grumbled. "I don't want to know what's going on," he added quickly. "_But _whatever it is needs to stop," he said, stressing the last. "You can't keep something like this from affecting everyone else, and that's exactly what's happened. You're biting heads off, and she's giving the Wicked Witch a run for her money. I'd almost take the rule book over whatever it is that's got both your panties in a twist. Get them untwisted," he said, his tone giving it an edge that could have been an order. He pointed his finger at Flynn. "If you can't control it, do us all a favor. End it while you both still have some dignity left."

His teeth ground together. He was wishing for a toothpick now more than ever. In his pockets, his hands clenched into fists. He could feel the boiling wave of anger rising. Andy felt his face run hot and his shoulders and chest tighten in anticipation of the release. It didn't come. Instead, he let his head hang and shook it. The fight went out of him, because really, there was no reason to be angry. Not at himself, and certainly not at Sharon. He couldn't even drum up the extra energy to be angry at his partner. Provenza hadn't done anything, and it wasn't often that he could say that. This time he was just looking out for the team, and that included Sharon and himself.

Andy slanted a look at him instead and then turned his eyes back to the city. He blew out a long, almost cleansing breath. "She's pregnant."

For a moment, his brows drew together in confusion. Provenza arched a brow at him. "So? What does Nicole have to do with it? If you're acting like this about being a grandfather, then you need to be dumped. Good god man, I thought you were enjoying hanging out with the little stepsons. _Now_ your daughter is having one of her own and it becomes an issue? Of all your fretting, this probably has to be the most ridiculous."

He looked skyward and took another deep breath. Yes, he supposed that was the logical conclusion. Andy almost smiled. Oddly enough, even in his current mood, it tickled him to be able to knock the smug look off of his partner's face. "No, not Nicole." Andy smirked. He rocked back on his heels. "Sharon."

Provenza opened his mouth to comment again and stopped. His mouth snapped closed with an almost audible click. He reached up and scratched his head. He gave him a pointed look. "I don't think I heard you right. Try again."

Andy drug his thumb across his forehead and chuckled. Sharon might just shoot him for saying anything, but she had Gavin. "You heard me. Sharon is pregnant. We've got the amnio thing today. I guess we're both a little on edge lately. It's not exactly how we planned to be spending our time together."

Silence descended on them. They stood near the ledge of the high rise, only the sound of the wind whipping through the cluster of downtown buildings to break the quiet. Finally, Provenza reached over and thumped him. "Are you accidentally stupid or do you really look for the most preposterous ways possible to screw up?"

His brows rose. Andy inclined his head. He'd been asking himself that one. "It's one giant cosmic joke and we haven't gotten to the punchline yet, but thanks for understanding," he said sourly. "Really, your support means the world to me." He took his hand out of his pocket to gesture wildly as he spoke. "The woman I love is facing a life altering, and potentially life threatening situation. She's all tied up in knots about it, and I'm not exactly feeling rosy myself, but at least I know that I can always count on you to make everything better." Andy snorted, shook his head. "Do I look like I climbed on top of her with the express intention of having _this_ happen?"

His cheeks had gone ruddy and his voice was raising with every word he spoke. "Now, let's not get too worked up," Provenza stated, back pedaling quickly. "Let's think about this a moment, we should consider our options..."

"_Our _options?" Andy sniffed. "Well not that _we_," he gestured between them, "have any options. Sharon and I have been talking about nothing else for more than a month. It's laughable. We know that. You'd be surprised how many people our age wait until _now_ to even have their first, it's insane. But here we are; our kids are grown. Hers could go either way. I know mine are going to flip out. She's more worried about Rusty than anything, but what do we tell them? It all comes down to today, and what we find out when those results come in. This is not supposed to be happening, Louie." Andy ran a hand through his hair. "She is scared out of her mind and there is nothing that I can do to fix it. It's the not knowing. We could handle this. I think we could knock it out of the park, we're good together. I know you don't see it, you don't want to see it, and whatever... that is what it is. It's the waiting and the not knowing what comes next, it's got everything all..." He waved his hand through the air, lacking a word to define the uncertainty. "You know, I've been thinking. There's an advantage... to being this damned old and having already done all this before. You know how to _not_ screw it all up, but that's me. That's not something Sharon would ever have to worry about. She's a damned good mother, hell, we've seen it. Her kids adore her, and Rusty… geez, who knows what would have happened to Rusty without her. If I could just get her through _this_ and telling them, and..." Andy sighed heavily. "I don't know. It's high-risk, and her doctor says she is _cautiously optimistic_." His head hung again. "She lost a baby, did you know that? A lot of people don't, most others just don't remember. It was years ago. The last time she took Jack back. So she's got that in the back of her head, but you know Sharon. She doesn't dwell. She moves on. Now she's got this wall in front of her and it's driving her nuts, and it's driving me nuts, and now we're driving you and everyone else nuts. Basically the world has just gone nuts."

Lips pursed, Provenza asked the question that was bouncing around in his own head throughout the long-winded explanation. "When is the last time you spoke to your sponsor?" He was all tied up in knots, and that wasn't a good place to be, not for an addict. Even one who had been sober as long as Andy had. Provenza doubted, very seriously, he'd ever slip that far, but this was a fairly big deal. This was not having your boss chew you out, it wasn't a bad case, or a bad day in court. He was right, it was life altering.

Andy threw his head back and barked a quick laugh. "About four hours ago." Behind his sunglasses his eyes were sparkling. "Trust me, having a drink is the last thing on my mind right now. I'm more pissed off that I forgot to grab a couple extra toothpicks on my way out the door this morning. But no, I'm working my program. I talk to Nick a few times a week anyway, he's got a new kid, wants me to take him on. I called him back this morning to let him know now wasn't the right time. We talked about Sharon. Know what he said? Pull my head out of my ass. It's a baby, not an audit." His sponsor, Nick Sheehan was a retired accountant. Everything could be measured by that man in terms of audits and taxes. Both of which were painful.

"He might have a point." Even Provenza looked a little surprised to have that coming out of _his_ mouth, of all things. He shook his head, then looked at his shoes. "It happens. Heather was forty-two when we had Crystal, we didn't plan it. That was the second time we were married. You walking around acting like an idiot is probably, most definitely, not helping the situation. She's going to be out of her head, you've got to be solid. Or at least out of your head where she can't see it."

"Yeah..." He shrugged. "I'm trying, it's just... anyway." Andy reached into his pocket for his phone when it chirped. He swept his thumb across the screen. A text message. A small smile tugged at his lips. Sharon. Asking if he was okay. She understood, beneath all of it, she understood the uneven ground he was also standing on. He exhaled quietly. Damn but he loved that woman. His chest swelled with it, and that feeling chased away the uneasy frustration.

"Oh god." Provenza read his look and made a face. "You really have got it bad. It's a _phone_ for crying out loud. I give up." He threw his hands up in disgust. "So much for it just being a summer thing."

"That went out the door the moment the stick turned blue," Andy drawled with a smirk. "Sorry to disappoint."

"Like I said," he groused back, good-naturedly and falling in to their usual routine where the Captain was concerned. "Idiot."

Andy smirked. His eyes gleamed with mischief, hidden as they were by the dark shades. The way his teeth bared, however, should have been warning enough. "Yeah? Can't wait to see what you say when I marry her."

"Well _of course_ you're going to marry her," Provenza shouted. "You got her pregnant!" He scoffed and turned to walk away. "I just don't know about you sometimes. As if you weren't... If I were fifteen years younger, I'd toss you right on your idiotic Jersey ass."

He laughed as he followed. He replied to the text, letting her know he was fine, and that he was coming back down. "Think you could? Even fifteen years ago, you were ancient."

"Don't mess with me, Flynn. I'll get Sanchez to do it. I might yet, if you don't get your act together," He warned.

"It's together," Flynn stated, in all seriousness. "That's something you don't have to worry about. Hey, Louie... she doesn't want anyone to know, not yet. Keep a lid on it, alright?"

He tossed a look back and rolled his eyes. "_Who _in their right mind would _believe_ me?"

"That's true. I hardly believe it myself, and I'm living with it." Andy shook his head again and followed him back inside.

When they got back to the Murder Room, Sharon glanced up from where she was quietly speaking with Tao. Her eyes followed his progress across the room, back to his desk. He looked at her, just for a moment, and in the space of that brief gaze they managed to exchange so much. He was okay, he had only needed a moment. Andy had a way of looking at her, eyes shining, and a corner of his mouth turning up. The cocky grin that had driven her insane years before, now with the emotion behind his eyes, the almost wink he tossed her direction, it sent a tiny thrill through her. She arched a brow at him, and the corners of her eyes crinkled with happiness. Her attention shifted back to Tao, but from the corner of her eye she watched Andy check his watch and tap it once. Sharon nodded, the acknowledgement meant for him, but easily intended for Mike as well.

Sharon tossed a few final instructions around the room before she strode back to her office. She retrieved her purse and marched purposefully back through the murder room. "Lieutenant Flynn, you're with me…" As far as anyone knew, they had a meeting at the DA's office and were reachable on their cells. When Andy returned without her, after dropping her at home, he would claim she was called away. It wasn't perfect, but subterfuge enough for the time being.

"Captain." He followed along at his more sedate pace, and exchanged a look with his partner as he passed his desk. The nod was his way of wishing them luck. Heaven only knew they needed it.

They were silent in the car. This was something they were both anxious about, but had discussed at length. Andy reached for her hand and held it, maneuvering through traffic with his other. "You spoke to the kid?"

"Rusty will be home," she assured him. Sharon smiled. He would worry until he dropped her off and saw Rusty's car parked in its usual spot.

"Alright, okay, you got me." He shook his head. "I don't like the idea of leaving you there by yourself all afternoon. It's bad enough you'll be there alone tomorrow." She would remain on bed rest for the evening, following the procedure, but was simply to take it easy the next day and moderate her activity for a couple of days beyond that. They had scheduled the test so that Sharon could take a personal day, without question, on Friday and have the weekend to recover. They weren't being allowed any overtime at present, so it worked. He could be with her.

"Andy, I have done this before." She gave his hand a squeeze. She loved that he wanted to take care of her, but she was capable of doing so on her own. It still took some getting used to, having a partner that was more than willing to stand with her, rather than apart.

"I know," he said simply. It changed nothing for him. He would still worry. He winked at her and grinned.

"Impossible," she said, affection sliding in to her tone.

"That's why you love me," he drawled, in that smug way that made her laugh, the low throaty chuckle that made heat curl in his belly.

She knew what to expect from the procedure, but he did not. She smiled indulgently and warmly while he peppered her doctor and the nurse with questions. He held her hand, and talked to her while they prepped. They discussed the case, all of the ins, outs, and even unimportant details. She lay on the exam table, an arm raised over her head with the back of her hand resting against her forehead, the other in his hand, gaze on him throughout. When the stick came, his hand tightened around hers, and he kept talking. He kept _her_ talking. She had never loved him more.

Sharon had to lay still for some time following the procedure. They were left alone in the small room. Andy drew the stool close to the table and sat on it, still holding her hand. He rested his chin in his other and gazed at her. "That was easy."

She snickered at him. "Yes, all I had to do was lay here. It seemed oddly familiar—"

"Hey now." He made a face at her. She laughed and cupped his cheek, and he let her have that one. Andy turned his face into her palm and kissed it. "I told Provenza."

"I figured." Her hand moved into his hair, nails gentle against his scalp as her fingers combed through the short, salt and pepper locks. "That's okay. You needed to talk to someone. He's your best friend."

"He's something," Andy teased. "Anyway, turns out… Provenza is so _old_ he has literally been there and done just about everything. Crystal, that's his youngest… she's grown now, but anyway… Heather - the wife he married twice, was a bit older when she had her. Early forties. I didn't realize that, guess I never did the math."

"Really." Her brows lifted. "You understand, I'm a little older than _that_, right?"

There was laughter dancing in her eyes, but Andy rolled his anyway. "But you don't look a day over thirty-five," he said, saccharine enough to be teasing. "My point is, Sharon, we could be blowing this whole thing completely out of proportion. I could think of a lot worse things we could be facing right now. Not that it makes any of this easy, but maybe we're looking at it all wrong."

She shifted slightly, lying as she was made her back ache, just a bit. "What do you mean," she asked softly. "Anything could still happen, we could—"

"I know," he cut her off. "I'm not saying we're in the clear. It's still a damned scary thing, but… you know, you're pregnant. It's not cancer. It's not some other disease. You're not hurt. Maybe we should stop thinking about this as something that's been tossed in our way, and start you know, acting like parents."

"I've thought of that," she admitted. "I think it will just be easier to accept once we have every piece of the puzzle. I feel like we're stuck on an escalator that never reaches it's destination."

"Yeah," Andy agreed. "I guess we have a couple of weeks yet before we can really even begin to relax." They were karyotyping the cells that would be extracted from the fluid sample, it was for the more extensive testing due to Sharon's age. It would take at least three weeks to get the results back. "Alright, how about something we haven't talked about?"

"Such as?" Her brows lifted, interest piqued.

"We should get married." His brows bobbed playfully. "I need to make an honest woman out of you. My male ego can't stand it."

Sharon snorted at him. "Your male ego is going to learn to cope. That was the sorriest excuse for a proposal I've ever heard." She sniffed, but the crinkling around her shining eyes belied any true annoyance. She was amused at him.

"Hmm." His lips pursed, and his head tilted. "Hey baby do you wanna?"

"Nope." The corners of her mouth twitched. "That was even worse."

"Let's run down to city hall on Monday and get it done?" His dark eyes were sparkling with humor."

"Getting colder," she said drily.

"Please?" He gave her the crooked half grin that she loved.

"Slightly better," she stated with a smile.

"I'll be your sex slave for life," he drawled in a low, husky voice.

"Now see," her own voice was tinged with humor. "You're putting stipulations on something I already have, so I'm going to have to say you're getting colder again."

"Damn." He reached for his phone when it began playing the theme song to Hill Street Blues. Andy sighed and showed her the phone. "I'm going to throttle that kid." It was the tone he had set for Provenza, when Andy wasn't looking, complete with a photo of the Lieutenant napping at his desk.

Sharon snickered. "I don't know, I think he nailed this one."

"You would," he answered it, because his partner knew where they were, and he imagined he'd only call if it was necessary. "Yeah."

"Flynn, we got him. Don't bother coming back here today. We're going to wrap it up. We can catch you up in the morning," Provenza stated.

"Really?" Andy's brows shot up. They hadn't been gone all that long.

"No, not really," he snarked in response. "But I figured you were about to do something incredibly dumb like come back to work. Don't bother. Captain Rulebook is indisposed, that puts me in charge. I'm telling you to take the rest of the day off. Come in tomorrow, get caught up."

"You know, I appreciate that," Andy said, rolling his eyes at Sharon and her questioning look. "But I don't think the Captain will."

"So tell her highness to suck it up. I'm feeling nice, don't make me regret it," he groused. "Don't come back here until tomorrow. That's an order."

"Look, Louie…" Andy pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it. "He hung up on me."

"What happened?" Her brows drew together and she rose onto her elbows, ready to get him to get her own phone.

"That cantankerous old jackass just ordered me to take the rest of the day off, and then hung up on me." He sniffed. Andy lay a hand on her shoulder and eased her back down. "Leave him in charge for one afternoon, and it goes to his head."

Sharon laughed. "Do you really want to complain about his moment of altruism, or are you going to request a psychological exam?"

"It wouldn't hurt." He smirked. "Okay, fine. I'm taking the day off." He waved his phone at her. "You can't do a thing about it."

That made her pout. "Well fine. I suppose I will just have to resign myself to the fact that you will be rubbing my feet and waiting on me all evening."

"It's tough, I know." He grinned. "You'll get over it. In the words of the ever grumpy Lieutenant Provenza, suck it up."

"Mmhm." She closed her eyes. "I'll deal with you both at some later date. In ways that should leave you trembling in fear."

"Oh baby, you always leave me trembling," his brows bobbed.

"Impossible," she snorted.

"Yeah…" He lay his head against her chest. "You love me."

"I do," she said softly. Her hand lifted to comb through his hair again. "Even if I am going to have to sacrifice my newly found freedom to make an honest man out of you at some point. Your reputation just can't take the hit. Getting your girlfriend pregnant at your age is just a bit sleazy."

"Well, I do like 'em younger," he winked at her. It was only a few years, but she was, in fact, younger than him.

"Lucky me," she drawled, and then laughed.

"Nah, I think that's my line…" His eyes shined up at her, full of emotion. They had already discussed marriage, several times since learning she was pregnant. They were both of a mindset and generation that believed having a child together should be something that happened _after_ wedding vows were exchanged. They just didn't want to have a knee-jerk reaction to the situation. So they were waiting. It would happen, when it felt right, and when they were ready for it.

Regardless of the exchange with his partner, when Sharon was released a while later, Andy felt better to be going home with her rather than just dropping her off. The kid was there, and they gave an excuse about being done for the day. Andy settled Sharon on the sofa, with a book and a cup of tea and took care of dinner himself. Rusty didn't question it. He didn't question much anymore, although he watched them with a peculiar expression. They knew he wasn't blind. In another few weeks, they could set his mind at ease.

In another few weeks, with any luck, they could all have their minds set at ease.


	4. Chapter 4

Everything She Does - Chapter 4

by Kadi

Rated: T

* * *

Three weeks of waiting felt more like three months. Sharon was getting toward the end of her apparel creativity, although at least now that Provenza knew they had an extra set of hands when it came to evasion and subterfuge. He never acknowledged that he knew, not to her, at least not openly. She appreciated that, truly. More than he could know. It didn't stop him from scowling at her when she leaned against the edge of his desk while discussing a case.

Sharon ignored him. Her feet were killing her today. She had worn a pair of heels that would need to go into the back of her closet with the others, so as not to tempt her, but they had been the best shoes for that dress. Just barely over two inches, but strappy, and with her slightly swollen feet… it was not a good combination. She would mourn their loss, in some small measure, but comfort was really becoming the name of her game.

"Marisa Newel's alibi is questionable at best," Andy said. Their newest case seemed to be open and shut, but they hadn't quite gotten all their ducks in the same row yet. They had a body, they had an ex-girlfriend, turned stalker with motive, but not enough evidence for the DA's office. "She was out for a drive," he rolled his eyes. "She just happened to be driving around her ex's neighborhood? Who does that?"

"Like you never did," Provenza snorted. "She could have been just passing through," he said, with some amount of sarcasm.

"Yeah, and then she stopped to let a kitten cross the road and decided to use her tire iron on her boyfriend's head," Flynn drawled. "It's perfectly plausible."

"Yeah, because there's always a good reason to bludgeon your ex," Provenza said, then realized how that sounded. "You know what I mean."

"I'm going to pretend that I do," Sharon said at length. "Alright, so we have Ms. Newel in the right neighborhood on the evening of the murder. We don't have a tire iron, or final confirmation of that as the murder weapon," she reminded them. Her phone, held in her hand, began to vibrate. "Check in with Dr. Morales," she told Tao. "See if he has that casting of the head wound yet. We can ask Ms. Newel if she would be willing to consent to a search of her car, but without any evidence…" She glanced at the phone and stood from Provenza's desk. "We can't get a warrant. Excuse me, I need to take this." Sharon started toward her office. "Make her think its in her best interest. If she really believes she did nothing wrong, she may go for it."

"Yeah, and I'm the easter bunny," Flynn snarked. He watched her retreat, quickly. The glance she shot at him held a wealth of meaning. Apprehension. That could only mean one thing. The timing was right. The results were in.

"Really," Sykes leaned against her desk. "You always struck me more as a Ground Hog day type."

"Funny." He rolled his eyes at her. "Practice those, do you?"

"If she did, they'd be better," Provenza agreed. "Sykes, didn't you know? He's our very own cupid."

"You're all hysterical, you know that…" He was keeping one eye on Sharon. She didn't pull the blinds, but her back was to them. The urge to walk in there was so strong that he gripped the edge of Sanchez's desk, upon which he was leaning.

"I always thought of him more as Don Juan," Julio stated with a grin. "Casanova he ain't."

"Not anymore." Provenza leaned back in his chair and grinned widely.

"Like you ever were," Andy shot back.

Sharon was gesturing with one hand while she spoke. Then he watched her reach for the calendar on her desk and flip several pages. His nails were practically biting into the desk beneath him. She took a pen and wrote something quickly, before straightening again. There was another moment, and then she pulled the phone away from her ear and placed it on the desk. He couldn't gauge her expression. Her hair was partially obscuring her face. Every muscle in his body tensed as he prepared to stand up and walk in there. Then she looked at him. Andy's stomach knotted. He couldn't read her eyes. They were wide, but it was shock, and not panic. Then she smiled. Bright and beautiful. Her relief was a tangible thing that he could almost reach out and touch. It flowed over him. He exhaled. It made him almost dizzy, the sudden weight lifting from him. He never realized just how cumbersome it really, truly was, until it was gone.

She took another moment before leaving her office. No one's attention was on her, no one but Andy. She closed her eyes and drew a breath. She felt as though she could recenter herself now. The tests showed no abnormalities. Now if they could keep _her _healthy the next several months, their odds were definitely _very_ good. Sharon exhaled slowly, and let the relief and sweep through her. It was joined by something which could have been joy, but she hadn't let herself feel that yet. Maybe even hope? She could examine that later. Now, they still had a job to do. She left her office and strode back toward the others. Andy's eyes never left her, and now his partner was watching her too.

The Lieutenant was practically sitting on the edge of his chair. Sharon tilted her head at him. His gaze swept between her and Andy and back again. He looked just as anxious as they'd felt. It was sweet, really. She clasped her hands in front of her and smiled at them both. "Are we still discussing how to get Ms. Newel down here?"

Provenza practically gaped. Sometimes he thought the woman had ice water for veins, but he knew better than that. "We were talking about what Flynn is _not_. You know, the Easter Bunny, Casanova. Don Juan. A groundhog."

"And this sudden fascination with holiday symbols is due to what, exactly?" She arched a brow at them.

"They've got too much time on their hands," Andy said, forcing sound through his suddenly tight throat. It rasped at first, but grew stronger. His hands itched to touch her. He clasped them against his lap. "I think you should send them out to canvas Matthew Larson's neighborhood. See if any of his neighbors saw the ex. That could get us enough to get our warrant. They could do it on foot," he decided.

"Hmm." Her lips pursed. "That has merit. What will you do? It wouldn't be fair to exclude you from team activities," she pointed out with a smile.

"Oh, I've got some useful activities of my own. Read a book. Do a crossword, take a nap… oh wait," Andy's palm landed against his forehead. "I'm channelling my inner Provenza."

"Ah." Sharon considered that. "Well, let's not. One of him is enough for anyone, it's certainly enough for me. Let's get to work. The murders don't solve themselves."

Sanchez, Tao, and Sykes took that as their cues to get back to work. Tao left to see Doctor Morales, while the other two went to track down their suspect. Once they were gone, Provenza shot out of his chair and glowered at his partner. "_Well_?"

Andy watched her retreat back into her office. He wanted to follow, but knew it was best to wait. They could discuss it later, at home. For now, the knowing was good enough. He glanced over at his partner and grinned. "They're fine. Everything came back normal."

Provenza leaned over and slapped his partner's back so hard, he almost knocked him from the desk he was leaning against. "Ha! See, told you, nothing to worry about."

"You never said that." Flynn stood up. "You were worried too."

"Of course I was, you've been sulking like a three-year-old," he shot back. Provenza sat down and kicked back in his chair. Their was a wide smile on his face. "So, when do we find out if we're getting cleats or ballet shoes?"

"You're scaring me." Flynn strode to his desk and picked up his phone. "Really, you are. It's unnatural for you to be this excited about anything. I'm going to go pick up lunch. Try not to fall out of your chair again."

"Get pizza," he said. "We're celebrating."

"Go back to your crossword," Andy grinned as he left the murder room.

Sharon left the office by six that day. They had curbed her hours, limiting the extended work schedule for when it was otherwise unavoidable. Now that Lieutenant Provenza knew the reason, it made it much easier for her to slip away. She still felt a bit guilty, leaving the others working, but reminded herself often that there was someone else in need of caring for, someone incapable of caring for itself. They had made the decision to do this, they would do it right. Those had been Andy's words, and then Provenza had gotten involved and yes - they had ganged up on her, more than once in the last few weeks. Even if the Lieutenant hadn't admitted that he _knew._ She was going to spend the next several months planning her retribution.

At the moment, she enjoyed getting home at a decent hour. She had a text from Rusty that he was going to a movie with friends. The apartment was hers for the time being, and she let the solitude sweep through her. She also let herself touch the emotions she had locked away earlier that day. Just the slightest brush, and then they were sweeping through her, released from their confinement.

Sharon sank onto the side of her bed and covered her face with her hands. She had a perfectly healthy baby growing inside her, and now the only question mark was keeping it that way. This was really happening. Not until hearing the words _normal_ and _healthy_ had she let herself really think beyond the abstract. She hadn't wanted to risk the heartache, and of course, she knew she was deluding herself, that would have come anyway if the tests had gone the opposite way. It had made the waiting bearable, at the very least. Now there was only the matter of telling her children. All three of them. Andy had to tell his. Then came the others. There was no hiding it any longer. It was real. _Now_ it was real. _Now_ she could let herself believe. _Now_ she could allow herself to acknowledge the truth, the abstract was a person.

They had talked at length about what they would do if the tests weren't promising. Nothing. They would proceed as best they could. Andy was adamant on one point, only so long as her own health was not impeded. It was a factor they didn't completely agree on, but had agreed to shelve until they had something concrete to worry about - or not. They'd talked about how the would handle raising a child with special needs, if the tests were indicative of that. She was going to retire. Andy argued the point, but Sharon was adamant on that one. She was having this child. She would stay home and give it the care it needed.

She had not dwelled. She wouldn't let herself. Not until they knew. They discussed, because they needed to.

She let out a slow, relaxing breath. The tension which had become so much apart of her during the last several weeks was finally, although slowly, flowing away. Sharon stood and toed out of her heels, and then stooped to pick them up. She tossed them to the back of her closet, where they could remain. Then she went through her routine of changing out of her work clothes and into something far more comfortable.

Tonight she allowed herself to be distracted. She stopped in front of the free standing, antique, full length mirror in the corner of her room and studied her reflection. Her dress dropped to the floor. Her hands moved to the rounded thickening at her waist and she turned sideways. There really would be no hiding it anymore. Andy wasn't exactly a small man, and she was quite slender to begin with. Or had been. The bump was definitely noticeable now. There was no denying the obvious.

She scooped up her dress and dropped it into the hamper. She decided on something comfortable to lounge in for the evening, and so took a shirt out of the closet. Sharon smirked. Half her closet had been taken over. She pulled on her favorite of Andy's dress shirts. It was one of the rare occasions when she was home alone, and so she strolled through the apartment in it. She pulled her hair up into a loose twist and clipped it in place as she moved around the outer rooms. She started music playing, and then found her way in to the kitchen.

It was soft strains of classical piano and the aroma of baking chocolate that greeted Andy when he stepped into the apartment later in the evening. He shook his head at that. She wouldn't cop to the cravings, but she was having them. Today it was chocolate, yesterday it had been onions. Onions were a big favorite lately, he was learning to enjoy them. Andy dropped his keys by the door and shrugged out of his jacket as he moved through the apartment.

"Hey." He stopped at the table, dropped his badge, and unclipped his gun. His phone joined them. When he turned, he found her standing in the kitchen. A smile tugged at his mouth. His shirt never looked better. It was the green one, a favorite of hers, and his… when she was wearing it. He was fond of how it set off her eyes. She also wasn't wearing much else, and the top three buttons had been left open. "I take it the kid ain't here?"

"Nope." His voice rumbled, low and thick. Her bare toes curled against the tiled kitchen floor. She broke off a piece of the brownie in her hand and placed it in her mouth. She shifted her weight to one foot, and tilted her head at him. "Went to a movie, probably out late."

"Yeah?" He advanced on her, eyes sliding the length of her body. Her legs were always the first thing he noticed, but tonight, he was watching her eyes. They were lighter, much softer than they had been… but he watched them darken as he got closer, and felt the answering shift within him. She licked a chocolate crumb from her thumb and fluttered her lashes at him. "Hm." His fingers flicked at the edge of the shirt. "You seem to get more wear out of this than I do…"

"I like it," she said simply. "Is that a problem?" Her lips curved up into a small, half smile.

Andy considered it. His eyes followed the lines of the shirt. The way it gapped where it was open. He groaned. She was practically falling out of the little scrap of silk she called a bra, although he was hardly going to complain about that. "Not at all."

"Good." She gave her head a small toss and smirked at him. "I think I'm going to keep it." His hand slid down her side, toward the hem and her teeth drug across her bottom lip. He was close, the heat of his body was warming her through to the fire that had already started burning within. A low hum rumbled in her throat when his hand slid back up the length of her thigh. "Hm?"

A sound, almost like a low growl, rumbled in his throat. There was nothing at all beneath the shirt, except another scrap of silk. "You are trouble," he decided. Andy slid his hands down the backs of her thighs and then lifted her. He placed her on the counter and moved between her legs. His hands delved into her hair and easily displaced the clip. It tumbled down, falling in thick, heavy waves. He angled his mouth over hers and teased her lips at first, until she folded her legs around him and hummed impatiently. When her teeth nipped his bottom lip, he grinned against her mouth. "Someone is in a hurry," he rumbled. "Is this another hormone thing."

"Shut up." She braced her hands against the counter and pressed herself more firmly against him. "_Andy_. Damnit." He'd moved his mouth, lips just barely brushing her neck.

"Nope." His hands moved slowly along the shirt, opening buttons. Then he lay his hand against her, warm against the round curve of her stomach. "Tell me," he husked instead. "I want to _hear_ it."

Sharon's teeth sank into her bottom lip again. Her hands moved to his shoulders. She inhaled sharply at the deep emotion in his gaze. There was desire, most definitely, but he was watching her with a mixture of hope and wonder, stamped down throughout the day, but now free to be expressed. She leaned forward and nuzzled her nose against his cheek. Her lips brushed the corner of his mouth. "No sign of any abnormalities," she repeated the doctor's words in her own low, soft tones. "Every test was normal. All the screenings indicate a healthy, normal fetus."

He could read her so well, but the words made it real for him too. Andy tipped his head back. His eyes roamed over her again. Her hair was thicker, fuller, and the color more vibrant. The healthy glow of her skin, the added curves and fullness of her figure, it all gave her a slightly younger appearance. She never looked more beautiful. There was a smile playing at her lips, teasing and sexy as hell. There was more, if the glint in her eyes was to be trusted. His own eyes narrowed, playfully, in response. "What else?"

"Hmm?" She drew the sound out and tilted her head at him. Her arms moved around his neck. She leaned in close, the softness of her body pressed against the length of his torso. His hands settled against her hips again. "I don't know," she drawled. "Just a small thing really…" Sharon's lips brushed his ear when she spoke. "Might want to consider how small those Dodger jerseys really come," she murmured. "They are _blue_, yes?"

He leaned back, brows lifted. A smile tugged at his mouth. "Yeah?"

She nodded silently, eyes alight with joy at being able to put something definable to it. It was still something of a farce, but damnit, they were going to make the best of it. "She could tell us at the next ultrasound, but this is really the most accurate way to know, so…" Sharon shrugged. "I asked."

"What about that." He kissed her then, slow, lingering. It was not the heated plundering she had been trying to tempt from him. That would come soon enough. "So, sports themes are okay," he mumbled against her mouth.

"Don't go crazy," she warned with a smile.

"I gotta tell Provenza." He pulled away from her and walked back to the table to pick up his phone.

"_Andy!_" She scowled at him.

He glanced back. She was still seated on the counter. Shirt open, lips swollen, hair a wild and tumbling mess. He tossed the phone back on to the table. "You are absolutely right. The hell with Provenza." He lifted her up and started toward the bedroom, her laughter ringing after them.

They waited until the following morning to tell Rusty. Sharon wanted it done, and the longer they waited, she knew that it would be harder to do. Andy made breakfast while she nursed a cup of tea at the table. The words still felt awkward coming out of her mouth.

Far more awkward than Rusty's response. "No kidding. What am I? Blind? Like this place stinking like onions all the time and you putting on weight was about something _other_ than you having a baby? Seriously?" He looked between the two of them. "I just thought I wasn't supposed to ask."

Sharon's eyes widened, and she felt incredibly guilty for that. "Rusty, why on earth would you think you couldn't ask?"

"Okay, so like, at the risk of one of you having a fit… can I just say I don't mean this in a bad way?" He looked from one to the other and waited for them to nod. "You're not exactly… you know, the words spring and chicken come to mind, whatever that means. Come on, Sharon. You're kind of… _not _young and sometimes when people like that have kids, there's things wrong with them. I thought maybe that's why you weren't telling anyone. No one knows, right? I mean, it's never come up in any conversation. I would think that it would, right? Like, Hey Buzz how's it going. Oh Hi Rusty, so did she figure out what color the crib sheets were going to be…"

Sharon and Andy exchanged a look. He shook his head. "Don't look at me, he gets all that from you."

"And suddenly I'm having visions of the future," she said, entirely too sweetly. Sharon rolled her eyes at him before turning back to Rusty. "Honey, I'm sorry. That was never my intent. I mean, we were _worried_ about what we would tell people. We did want to wait until all of my tests results were in and we knew, without a doubt, one way or the other, what this situation was going to be. I'm sorry if we frightened you, or made you feel… disconnected."

"It's fine," he shrugged. "Really, Sharon, it's okay. I always figured you'd tell me when you were ready, or when you could. You always do," he said with absolute certainty. He twisted his fingers together and considered for a moment. She hadn't come right out and _said_ that everything was okay. His stomach churned nervously. "So, I mean… you said you were waiting until you knew. Do you? Is it… like, okay and everything?" He didn't really know how to ask, but he figured he got his point across. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. "You've been kind of… I mean, not just you, _both _of you. Like something was seriously wrong." Rusty's eyes widened. "_You _are okay, right?" Somehow, horribly, that thought had never occurred to him.

She really did adore him. Sharon's face softened. "I'm okay, Rusty. I promise." She gave him a warm smile. "So is the baby. All of our tests came back normal, and while we're not completely out of the woods, so far everything looks very good."

Relief was a palpable feeling and seemed to be going around. "Good," he nodded. "I mean, that's… it is good right?" Rusty glanced at both of them again.

"Yeah kid, it's good," Flynn stated with a grin. "We figured, what the hell, Provenza needs a challenge. We'll give him spawn of us. Ought to make for a good time, you think?"

"It's almost a little cruel," Rusty grinned. "It should be interesting." He turned back to Sharon. He considered his next question carefully. He didn't want to be difficult, but it had to be asked. Even if the answer scared him. He didn't know what he would do if she said yes. Sharon was, well, Rusty couldn't really define it. It just _was_. "Is this my thirty day notice?"

Her brows drew together in confusion. Then a conversation rang through her mind. "Oh, god. Rusty. No!" She stood up and rounded the table. She lay a hand on his shoulder. "Absolutely not. This is your home. Why would—no, _no_, honey. You will _always _have a home with me. I may not be your mother, but you're _my_ son and that's something you're just going to have to learn to live with, mister. Got it?"

Her eyes were filling with tears, not something she usually did in front of him. Not if she could help it. Rusty felt a little of the sting behind his own eyes. His throat ached with the emotion. But even as he nodded, he sent a helpless look at Flynn. "She's crying." He blinked, almost panicked. "I didn't mean—"

"Welcome to the hormones kid." Flynn toasted him with his coffee cup. He was smiling at them. He was relieved to see Sharon's fears allayed. "The crying ones aren't so bad, wait until the raving lunatic ones come back around. Now _that _is fun."

Sharon shot a heated glare at him. "Raving lunatic?"

"See what I mean," Andy nodded at her. "Here it comes."

She sniffed at him. "You're terrible." Sharon swept her fingers beneath her eyes, removing any sign of moisture. "Rusty, you aren't being replaced, understand?"

"Okay." He relaxed a bit more. So she wasn't sick. He was right, she was pregnant, and it was fine. Oh, and he didn't have to move out. Now he might actually be able to eat, something which he hadn't done well in a few weeks. His stomach had been a knotted up mess. "I get it. Plus, raving lunatic hormones. Check, check, and triple check."

She huffed a sigh at him. "Oh, honestly!" But she studied him closely. "You really already knew?"

"Sharon." Rusty gave her middle a pointed look. "You should go shopping. Like, seriously."

"Or you could stay home, wear my shirts, and be barefoot all the time," Andy suggested. The glare that earned him had him shrugging. "Just a thought. Easily discarded. Forget I mentioned it.

It took Rusty only a few seconds to figure that one out. "Ew!" He made a face at them. "Really? So many levels of wrong. This is me, going back to believing the stork is dropping that off, and you two are really not doing _anything_." He shuddered and picked up his computer. "Gross!"

Sharon looked skyward at his normal teenage display. "Rusty," she called him back before he could completely disappear. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

"It's weird," he admitted. "But it's not _not_ okay," he told her. "Does that… I mean, alright?"

"That will work," she said with a smile. "You'll tell me if—"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "Our thirty day notice goes both ways. I promise. Don't worry about me, Sharon. I'm good."

"Okay then." She nodded, relieved. "I can accept that."

Andy waited for him to go and leaned against the counter. "You know what this means right?" He gave her a sympathetic smile. "Rusty was the easy one."

"I know." Sharon sighed. "The other two are going to be _interesting_."

"Mmhm." He walked around to join her. "But you still have to call them."

"You have to call yours," she reminded him.

"Yep." He nudged her toward where she'd left her phone. "You first."

She huffed. "Why do I have to go first? You could just as easily call Nicole right now…"

"You won the coin toss," he reminded her.

"_Damnit_." So that extra half an hour in the shower that morning had not distracted him. She was really going to have to work on that. Sharon set up her computer and sent a text to both her children, informing them they needed to have a video chat. "Don't go anywhere," she pointed a finger at Andy when she caught him trying to slide out of the room. "Making me go first does not get you off the hook, Mister."

Andy rubbed his forehead and trudged back toward the kitchen. "I've never actually _met_ your kids, you do remember that, right?"

She shot a glower at him. "This pregnancy hasn't fried my brain that badly. Now is as good a time as any." Sharon smirked. "Especially after I tell them what you've done."

"What _I've_ done?" He gave her an amused look. "I thought we agreed this was a mutual process, oh, and that it was all Gavin's fault?" Her look made him laugh. "Right. What _I_ did. Got it." Andy shook his head and poured himself another cup of coffee. He leaned against the counter, just on the edge of the kitchen and watched her set up for the call. "So you'll hang out while I call mine, right?"

She slanted a look at him and snorted. "I don't mind talking to Nicole with you, but you're on your own with the other one. He hates me."

Andy rolled his eyes. "Nathan doesn't _HATE_ you..."

Her brows shot up. "Andy, he's convinced that I'm a high-priced call girl. Your wife-"

"_Ex-_wife," he reminded automatically.

"Right, whatever, ex-wife, has him completely convinced that I'm someone you've hired to make yourself look better. I am, apparently, a well-paid, very experienced escort. No," she said, drawing out the word. "I'm not doing it. I've been nothing but polite, and-"

"Polite?" He smirked at her. "Baby, you cut her to pieces every time the two of you are in the same room together. Granted, she deserves it, but you've got an exceptionally sharp tongue and she has been on the receiving end more than once." Of course, Sharon was right, she was always exceedingly polite about it, but she just had a way of tearing a person right off their high-horse, usually before they even realized it was happening. He loved watching her do it, it was a perfected science. He'd been on the receiving end more than once over the years, in fact, he was almost certain she perfected it _with_ him, but that was then... N_ow_ it was enjoyable. Especially where it concerned his ex-wife. Or Taylor. Or anyone who was annoying the crap out of him.

"I have _never_ been mean to your ex-wife," Sharon began, almost incredulous. "Andy, I swear, _that woman_-" She stopped and sighed when he began laughing. "What now?"

"You don't even realize who you just sounded like." He grinned at her.

"Oh!" She turned in her chair. "I'm not talking to you anymore. You're completely impossible when you're in this mood."

"How about talking to us?" While she was busy discussing the ex-wife with the new boyfriend, the call had gone through to her children, and they waited, patiently. Amused, but patiently. Richard was watching his mother with a small half-smile, reminiscent of the woman herself. "You know, we drop everything when you ask, like the dutiful children that we are, and instead of this oh-so-important conversation that just has to happen _now,_ we are subjected to your little love spat."

They knew that their mother was seeing someone, and that it had gotten pretty serious. It was odd, in the sense that in all those long years she had not dated - not that they knew of. They heard enough snippets of conversations between her and Gavin, or other friends, to know that their mother was hardly celibate. It just wasn't something they talked about. Or really _wanted_ to talk about. It was good to see her happy, even if it was weird. In the sense that this was their _mother_ for crying out loud.

Charlotte leaned forward, toward her iPad and placed her chin in her hand. "Seriously mom. Busy life, you know. Places to go, people to see, fame to accrue."

Richard looked the most like their mother, he had her coloring, but was tall and broad across the shoulders. He had his father's broad build, but the Campbell height, courtesy of their mother's side of the family. Charlotte was built like her mother, taller, willowy in appearance. She had a dancer's lines and grace, but her father's light, sandy colored hair and blue-gray eyes. When she smiled, she was all Sharon. She also had the same low inflection to her voice, and when she called, she got a kick out of freaking Rusty out - at least until he caught on to her game.

Charlotte had meant to be Charlie. They had expected another boy, they'd gotten a daughter instead. A little dancing princess that was all girl. It was that memory, more than any, which urged Sharon to use the results of the amnio as a gender determinate - among others. They were told Charlotte was a boy, had planned for a boy, and then brought home a daughter. The ultrasound might be more sophisticated now, but she wasn't taking any chances. Not at this stage in her life.

Sharon's eyes narrowed, however playfully, at both of her grown children. "Yes I know," she began. "You're entirely too busy to sit down for ten minutes and talk with your mother, whom you've both abandoned to live such glamorous lives far away—"

"Here we go." Richard looked skyward. "Thanks Char." He shook his head slowly and inclined his head with a sigh. "You never call, you hardly write, and can't even be bothered to email..." He intoned, his voice joining hers, and Charlotte chiming in as well. "We are such horrible, ungrateful, completely undeserving..."

From where he stood, Andy laughed. Over the rim of his coffee mug, his eyes twinkled with amusement. At least it wasn't only them that she could work over like that. They had her number, though. She could have given his mother and his grandmother a run for their money on the maternal guilt angle. He always thought that was an Italian thing, now he realized it extended to the Irish catholic too.

"Oh hush." Sharon made a face at him. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes shining with happiness. She missed them, but her kids were such a joy to her. Maybe starting over again wasn't _such_ a bad thing. Awkwardly timed, perhaps, but she had enjoyed being a parent... even a single one. "And you mind your tone Richard William," she teased. "You are right, though, this call had a purpose." Sharon chewed on the corner of her lip, anxiety had her stomach churning. "I'd rather talk to you both when you're here, but you're never here-" She held up a hand. "No, I understand. That wasn't a criticism, I love that you're both happy with what you're doing, and where. Thing is, kids, oh... I have no idea how to do this." She looked at Andy, eyes pleading.

He moved closer, just out of camera range and lay a hand against the back of her neck. His thumb gently stroked the side of her neck, just beneath her ear. He felt her relax slowly. "Straight forward works," he said quietly.

"Right," She breathed.

"You're getting married," Charlotte blurted out, unable to take it anymore. Whoever this guy was, and they'd only glimpsed him a few times during similar calls with their mother, a single touch had eased whatever was bothering her. It was sweet, in the really weird way that _old people love_ was always kind of sweet.

"That was fast." Richard smirked at them. "You know, mom, there's no hurry. You don't have to rush into anything. You could have told us the next time we're there... I mean, you aren't actually planning to marry some guy that your own children haven't even met yet..." His hazel eyes were sparkling happily at the chance to turn the tables on her. It wasn't often a possibility.

"Really." Charlotte laughed. "It's not like you're pregnant or anything."

Sharon pressed her lips together and tilted her head. She glanced up at Andy and shrugged. "Well, you see..."

Her cheeks were flushing a bright shade of red. Charlotte's eyes went wide. "_Oh my god_. You're pregnant?"

"But you're so old," Richard exclaimed. "I mean, you know, what are you, fifty now? Isn't that kind of, uh, dangerous?"

"Stop while you're ahead," Andy chuckled. "You blew it at old."

"Shush!" Sharon swatted him playfully. "It's nothing that _we_ haven't said a thousand times lately. Old applies, but perhaps the tone could be a little different, hm?" She shook her head at them. "Yes, we understand the age thing is an issue. Trust me, we get it. This wasn't exactly planned, and-"

"Mom," Charlotte cut in. "Is it even safe? I think that's what Ricky means. We just want to make sure that you're okay."

Her face softened into a warm smile. "It's a bit ill-advised, but so far, everything has gone exceptionally well. For whatever reason, all our odds seemed to be in favor of a healthy baby boy. I'm completely healthy, and all of the baby's tests check out."

"You already know that it's a boy?" Richard looked surprised. "How far along are you?" His mind was still reeling. That was not an announcement one expected to get. They figured some day she would tell them she was divorcing their father, and then later to find out she was seeing someone was a surprise but not really unexpected or unwanted. They knew it was getting serious, so they didn't think an engagement was completely out of the picture. A new sibling? Okay, well, that wasn't really like taking in a foster kid that was already half-grown. Ricky also remembered being sixteen and watching his mother go through a similar experience, with a less pleasing result.

"Hm..." Sharon smiled sheepishly. "About nineteen weeks now. We wanted to wait until all the testing was complete before we told anyone."

"Wow." Charlotte blinked. "That's... holy crap! You haven't told Gram yet, right?" Her eyes were suddenly alight with mischief.

"No," Sharon drawled. "Absolutely not. Your grandfather has no idea either, so..."

"Goody!" She rubbed her hands together and smirked. "Oh, hey, mom... slide over will you? We should at least get to look the guy who knocked our mom up in the eye before he marries her."

Ricky snorted. "Yeah, mom. We need to talk to him..."

She rolled her eyes, but smiled as she scooted her chair aside to make room in front of the computer. "Andy..."

He rolled his eyes at her but moved into the chair beside hers and pulled it close. "Kids." It wasn't how he imagined meeting Sharon's kids for the first time.

"Hello." Charlotte tilted her head and smiled appreciatively. "Hey, got any sons? Younger brothers. Mom, you hussy."

Sharon closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "Charlotte."

"What?" She shrugged. "I've got eyes. I am my mother's daughter."

"I'm sorry," Sharon smiled at Andy, whose ears were turning red. "She doesn't have much of a filter. It's something we're still working on."

He shrugged in response, and grinned. "So she's a lot like you, but without the timing and deliberation." Andy winked at her. "I get it. Sorry, kid," he told her daughter. "My brothers are a bit old for you, and my son isn't our biggest fan."

"Too bad." She shrugged.

"Sis, you're off topic a bit," Richard grinned. "So..." He leaned forward. "Let's talk wedding dates. I can be there this weekend, Char when are you free?"

"Oh good grief." Sharon leaned back in her seat and laughed. "Lay off you two."

"Sure, spoil our fun." Charlotte chuckled. "Okay, fine. You'll tell us when to show up. So, can we tell anyone? Or is it still a secret, because-"

"Have fun." Sharon smirked.

"Oh, she will." Richard checked his watch. "Hey, mom, I hate to cut you off, but I've got a meeting in a little bit and I need to run. Can I call you back tonight?"

"Go on," she told him. "You too Char, you know where to find me. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Richard flashed a crooked smile again. "Bye mom, love you. See you soon Andy."

They waited until Charlotte was gone too before he looked at her. "That sounded like a threat."

Sharon snickered. "You know, it did a bit." She gave his arm an affectionate pat. "Well, good luck sweetheart."

"Yeah, thanks a lot." Andy rolled his eyes at her. He stood, but kissed the side of her head as he did. "Well, that's three down..."

"Mmhm." Sharon rose and walked toward the bedroom to get dressed for the day. "Your turn!"

"Where are you going?" He watched her sashay away. "Hey, I thought we had a deal."

"I can't be late for work, Andy. Neither can you for that matter," she called back. "Better get a move on."

"Witch." Andy shook his head, but was grinning, even as he took out his phone to call his own children. He started with Nathan, since it was unlikely his son would even answer the call. Andy wasn't disappointed. It went to voicemail and he left a message for him to get back as soon as it was convenient. Nicole was next, his relationship with his little girl was still improving. He grinned when Nicole picked up on the third ring. "Hey kid."

"Dad, hi!" She paused for a moment. "Oh no, you're not coming. They're going to be so disappointed, the boys have been talking about nothing else except you coming to the recital."

"What?" Andy wracked his brain and realized he'd forgotten. "No, no," he quickly assured her. "We'll be there. That's not why I was calling." He'd have to check with Sharon, but he'd be there, no matter what. He winced, remembering now his promise to his little step-grandsons to make their next recital. It was good he was telling her now, he supposed, she'd figure it out on Saturday night when she laid eyes on Sharon. Well, he obviously couldn't chicken out now. "Listen, here's the thing," He rubbed his index finger across his forehead, scratching idly. "So, Sharon and I have something we wanted to tell you, and we've been sort of waiting for the right time."

"So, you're not dating anymore? Or you were, and then you're not. Or you're not, and then you were, and then you're not anymore?" Nicole laughed. "Dad, I can't keep up with you two anymore," she said, making fun of the previous confusion regarding her father's relationship with his Captain.

"You know something, that makes three of us," He chuckled along with her. It had been rather embarrassing, having to admit he'd let his family think the wrong thing. Although, it was the right thing now. Luckily for him, Sharon was understanding enough to have only yelled a little bit. Then told him when he was ready to be a grown up, they could see about fixing that. "No, seriously Nic. We're fine. Sharon's great. More than great, actually. You know, here's the thing..." He realized he was pacing, but he was nervous as hell. "We'd really like to tell you in person, but with the recital and everything, there's just not going to be an opportunity and we didn't want you blindsided by it. Sharon's pregnant," he said in a rush. "About nineteen weeks, and well, we were waiting to make sure everything was okay before we said anything. You know, just in case." He said it all in a rush, and then held his breath, almost cringing. Silence settled over the line, and stretched out for several long moments. Andy pulled it away from his ear, checking to make sure it hadn't disconnected. Nervous energy had him tapping his fingers against the back of one of the breakfast stools. Finally, he gave a quiet sigh. "Nicole?"

"I'm here," she said quietly. "I need a minute, Dad. That's…" She trailed off, not entirely sure what to say. What was she supposed to say? Or what could she say. "I thought she was closer to your age. I mean, she looks great, don't get me wrong. I almost didn't believe it when you said she was, but god, Dad. I guess I'm just trying to figure out why you two would try that now, at your age. It seems a bit insane."

"Oh, it is." He drew a breath and let it out slowly. "Thing is, we didn't try. This one just snuck up on us. We both thought we were beyond it, and well, I suppose that wasn't the case sweetheart. However it happened, we're in it. It isn't something we can turn our backs on, and you know, she's going to love you for what you said about the looks thing." He felt someone touch his back and turned to find Sharon standing behind him. Her arms slipped around his waist and he smiled down at her. "Nic says you couldn't possibly be as old, or even almost, as old as me. You look too good."

"Bless her." Sharon smiled.

Her head tilted, and her eyes were soft, questioning. He winked down at her. "We need to remember that we have the boys' recital on Saturday."

"I did actually forget," Sharon stated, with a small pout. "It's all your fault. Tell her we'll be there. We don't have anything else, unless I've forgotten that I've double booked us, in which case, we can blame it on my crazy pregnancy brain and it will still be your fault."

On the other side of the line, Nicole laughed. "Well, at least she's got that part down. Dad, _is_ everything okay? You said that you were waiting," she asked, a bit hesitantly.

"Oh yeah, hell." He grinned down at the woman that was pressed against him. "It's great. Damnedest thing, Nic. I gotta say though, kid, it's going to be another brother. I tried, but you know, Sharon just doesn't always cooperate with me."

"Usually with very good reason," his daughter said, voice tinged with humor. "Congratulations? Can I say that? I don't really know _what_ to say," Nicole admitted. "You know, dad, if you two are good with it, I think that's all that really matters, isn't it?" Although he couldn't see it, Nicole shrugged. "Look, I had a lot of people telling me not to date a guy with kids, and that only got worse when Jake and I got engaged. So, the way I see it, this might not be planned, but if it makes you happy then go for it. I've been there, and it doesn't feel great having people tell you to not do something that makes you happy because _they_ don't think that it's the right thing for you. What is it I've heard you say? The hell with them if they don't like it."

Andy looked utterly surprised. The wide-eyed, bewildered look made Sharon tilt her head and run a hand down his arm. "What is it?"

He shook his head, but held her closer. "You know something, kid. That's the best thing anyone has said yet, I think. I'm sure Sharon will appreciate it too."

"You're both welcome. Let me know if I can do anything, okay? This is absolutely insane, but you already know that. I think it's great, really. Jake and I need to practice with a baby before we decide to have one, so sign us up for the babysitting," she teased.

"We're not going to let you back out on that," Andy laughed. "Your name is definitely top of the list now, Nic." He bent and kissed the tip of Sharon's nose. "Look, we need to get ready to head in to the office, but we're going to see you Saturday night, hell or high water, we're not missing the boys' dance recital."

Sharon nodded her agreement, and stepped away from him. She made her way back down the hall to put the finishing touches on her makeup and hair. She was relieved for him that it had gone well with Nicole. His son might not be willing to have more than a passing acquaintance with him, but Nicole was trying. Sharon stepped back in to her bathroom and finished getting ready while she waited for Andy to join her. When she stepped out again, he was sliding into a suit jacket in the bedroom. It was the dark, pin-stripe suit. She loved that one. "Nicole was okay?" She already knew the answer but it gave him the opening to talk about it.

"Yeah," he grinned. "She basically said the hell with everyone else, and to let her know if we need anything. As long as we're good, she's good. Oh, plus the free babysitting. That's going to come in handy." He slipped his watch on and watched her at her dresser, sliding earrings into her ears. His eyes swept over the length of her. She'd chosen the pale lavender wrap-dress, the new one she bought just a few days before. A moment of hopeful anticipation had her buying the first thing that was intended for the pregnancy.

The dress was sleeveless, and she would pair a blazer with it, he knew. The bodice fell in a v-neck, showing off just enough of the enhanced cleavage to keep him grinning all day. It was shorter than she typically chose for the office, just reaching her knees. Andy smirked a bit. The catch at her side was simple, and he'd spend all day thinking about how just a simple little touch would send that dress falling to her floor. He was going to enjoy thinking about that. He'd never remember what Sharon called the cut, a-line or some thing like that. All he knew was that it was fitted beneath her breasts and fell in such a way that it was so very obvious what they had been hiding.

"Stop staring." She lifted her arms and fastened a simple platinum chain around her neck with a single diamond pendant. "We are not going to be late." A little smile played at her lips. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and stepped into a pair of low, one-inch heels.

"Just a little late?" He walked over and slipped his arms around her from behind. His lips brushed her neck. "We could blame it on traffic." Andy's hands slid up her sides, and then around. He teased the soft skin just beneath her ear while one hand splayed across her stomach and the other settled beneath her breasts. "Really, horrible, inconvenient, LA traffic," he rumbled against her neck.

"_Andy_," she moaned plaintively. She leaned back against him and arched her neck, offering it. "That's not playing fair." Sharon let out a shallow, shuddering breath. She hummed, but then she stepped away. "No." She pointed a finger at him. "We cannot be late. Andy, we're in enough trouble here."

"Alright, fine." He smirked. "All bets are off the minute I get you home."

"We'll see," she sing-songed. Sharon walked over and retrieved her blazer. She took her gun off the dresser and left the bedroom. "We should talk about that at some point," she called back. "We're growing out of the condo." Sharon knocked on Rusty's door. "We're leaving."

Rusty opened the door and poked his head out. "I'm heading out in a little bit too. I wanted to check out a couple of places today offering summer jobs for high school grads." He shrugged. "I know, I know, you said I didn't have to get a job, but what am I going to do all summer? It's months and _months_ until classes start. There's a couple of internships. One of them's down at the morgue," he smirked.

"Really?" Her brows shot up. "That's an awfully… intense job for an eighteen year old high school graduate. Rusty, I'm not sure…"

He rolled his eyes at her. "Sharon, it's answering phones and like, filing. Not like I haven't been to the morgue before, remember? Besides, I like Dr. Morales, and who's to say I'd actually get it, so…" Rusty shrugged.

"Well, good luck." Sharon wasn't going to dissuade him if that was what he really wanted to do. The morgue wasn't exactly a place she had visited recently. In fact, she was staying far away. "We'll see you tonight."

"Sure, hey…" Rusty called out when she had moved down the hall. "Can one of you, like, take pictures of their faces when you tell them?" He figured with the way she was dressed, the team was going to be told. "I seriously want to see that."

"You got it kid." Andy smirked. "Provenza already knows, but I'll get him to act suitably surprised for you."

"Dude! You told him before you told me?" Rusty's face dropped. "For real?"

"Dude!" Andy held his arms out. "For real. Someone's gotta keep an eye on her when I'm not around. You know she's trouble."

"A little bit, yeah." Rusty grinned.

"I can hear you," Sharon frowned at both of them.

Andy and Rusty exchanged a look. _I__'__ll call you_, the man mouthed. The boy smirked. Life was better with Sharon, that was a definite… but it wasn't boring. Not by a long shot, even when all he'd had to do was play internet chess and do his online classes, it had a certain amount of… interest to it. Rusty stepped back in to his room to finished getting ready for the day. He couldn't believe they really thought he didn't know. Rusty grinned. He didn't often get one over on Sharon, Flynn, or any of the team. He was going to enjoy this one for a while.


	5. Chapter 5

Everything She Does - Chapter 5

by Kadi

Rated: T

* * *

"I want to see Taylor first," Sharon strode alongside Andy once they left the elevator on the ninth floor. Her blazer was thrown over her arm, and held in front of her. "Then I'll meet you in the murder room." They stopped where the hall split, the Assistant Chief's offices were at one end, Major Crimes at the other.

"Want me to go with you?" His hands hung loosely at his hips, thumbs looped into his belt. "You don't have to take the heat all by yourself."

"I know." She smiled. "There's only so much he can actually say. Labor and discrimination laws," she waved a hand through the air. "I'm not really worried about it. I can handle Taylor, it's the rest of them that I worry about."

"Don't." Andy touched her arm, briefly, just a light caress of his fingers near her elbow. "They'll be fine. The team will be okay. Well," he grinned. "Maybe not Sykes."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "Get to work, Lieutenant." She started down the hall. "That was not a request."

"Yes ma'am," Andy loved to watch her walk. He shook his head and made his way toward the murder room before she could catch him.

Sharon swiped her ID badge at the door and nodded to the Chief's executive assistant. "Is he in?"

"Just," Ida Walsh glanced up and smiled. "He has a couple of early calls, but there are a few minutes before the first. Go on back."

"Thanks Ida," the other woman had been a civilian assistant with the force for almost as long as Sharon could remember. She strode back and found the door open, Taylor was at his desk flipping through the reports waiting for him that morning. More than half were from her division, she knew. She knocked on the open door to get his attention. "Chief."

He glanced up, momentarily surprised. "Captain Raydor." Russell gestured her in, and nodded toward the empty chair in front of his desk. "What can I do for you? I didn't think your team was ready to move on the Larson case yet? Has there been a change with the suspect's alibi?" He continued to hold the morning's reports, but gave her a speculative look. Usually, she called or memo'd in her updates, unless it was a hotter case or he requested her presence. The Larson case hadn't really caught his attention, beyond the brutality.

"No," she said at length. "Not yet. We're working on that, I'm sure we'll have something soon. That wasn't the reason I wanted to see you. I'll be speaking to Human Resources this morning, but I thought you should hear it from me first. I'll be taking intermittent Medical Leave for a few months, and then a much longer leave at the end of that term."

Taylor was taken back. He sat slowly and indicated that she should as well. "I understand," he said, although he really didn't. "I suppose the necessity cannot be avoided, Captain, but I have to say your absences will be severely felt. You're an integral part of your department." He paused, going over in his mind all the things he could and could _not_ say or ask. "I respect the need for personal privacy," he began carefully, "we've worked together a long time, Captain. May I ask—"

Her head tilted while she gauged whether that was genuine concern or a fishing expedition. More of the latter, if she had to guess, but he had surprised her in the past. "You may. It won't be a secret much longer, Chief." The urge to smirk was a strong one. She suppressed it, and settled on a small smile instead. "I'm pregnant. Obviously my health is a very real concern, so I am choosing to follow my physician's recommendations to the letter," she stated, a bit cheerfully. She wouldn't let Russell Taylor, of all people, see her fret. Seeing him blink and struggle for something to say was a real treat.

"I see." Taylor leaned back in his seat, more confused than anything. Everything he may want to say at the moment, he couldn't, not without crossing a certain line. With Raydor one could never tell if crossing that line would be appreciated or not. "That is… some news, Captain."

Sharon decided to take pity on the flustered man. She chuckled quietly. "Yes, believe me, I know. Try living it, Chief. I admit, I have to apologize, this notice comes a bit late. I've known for some time now, but understandably, there has been a lot going on and certain decisions needed to be made." She waved a hand through the air. "Oh, say it. I've said it. This is ridiculous."

"I wasn't going to—" Taylor stopped and laughed. "Maybe I was thinking it, Captain. Only so far as it concerns being in the same age bracket. I think I understand exactly what you're saying. Well, that is still some mighty interesting news. Better than an alternative I might have thought up on my own. I'm going to offer my congratulations, but know that I still think your absences will be seriously felt. I don't know what we'll do without you while you're on maternity leave." Taylor stopped talking suddenly, and gave her a narrow-eyed gaze. "You are coming back, aren't you?"

She decided to toy with him a bit, because she was in a position to do so. Her head tilted and she pretended to think about it. "You know, that is one of the things that has been discussed. I didn't have the opportunity to stay home much with my first two, I was working and Jack was, well…" She waved a hand, he knew that history. "Anyway," she continued, "I'll admit that the thought crossed my mind. I could retire easily, and indulge in all the little things that I missed the first time around, but you know…" Sharon smiled. "I don't think that I _want_ to. I like my work, and I'll be honest, my mind could change. I'll be sure to let you know if it does. Doubtful, though. I only seriously thought about it as it pertained to, well…" She shrugged, and didn't finish the thought. Had the testing indicated a child with special needs, Sharon had decided she would retire to devote the care and time that was needed. They were doing this, regardless, it was simply a matter of _how_.

"I understand." He did, there were certain factors of age that could not be denied. Russell leaned forward and clasped his hands together against the desk. "Lieutenant Flynn, I assume," he asked cautiously. LAPD regulations were iffy on the matter of fraternization rules, the only real written rule indicated that it should be reported to a superior, which it had been. The situation still required careful monitoring, as it pertained to appropriate behavior and favoritism. He might not have to worry about that with Captain Raydor, but it was a card which resided up his sleeve, in case it was needed. She played the game well, so did he.

"Yes." She said simply, choosing not to elaborate.

"Okay," He put his hands up. "I won't push." His desk phone chirped, indicating his first incoming call. "I have to take this one. Chief Pope," he stated, indicating it was not a call he could postpone.

"Understood." Sharon gathered her purse and stood up again. "Thank you for your time, sir. I'll have the appropriate paperwork filed."

"See that you do." He paused with a hand over the phone. "Captain, I do hope I'll be seeing another change in personal status soon." Again, it was worded carefully. "Image, you understand, is everything once we reach a certain responsibility within the Department."

Sharon wanted to roll her eyes at him. "Indeed. I'll keep you informed." She withdrew then and sauntered toward Major Crimes. That should put an interesting twist on his morning update with Pope. Sharon smiled a little bit to herself.

The team was already gathered when she strode into the Murder Room. "Good morning everyone." Their greetings chorused back as she made her way toward her office. Andy, at his desk near her door glanced up. He gave her the carefully concealed questioning look. The slight tilt of his head, even as he nodded his greeting. She smiled back, setting him at ease and breezed into the room. Sharon draped her blazer along the back of her chair and stored her things before returning. "Okay, where are we with Ms. Newel?"

"She is coming in this morning to give a voluntary statement," Tao reported without looking up.

"I'm meeting her downstairs when she arrives," Sykes reported. She frowned. Something was different, but she was having a hard time putting her finger on it. She glanced at Sanchez, who was looking at Provenza. The Lieutenant was almost bouncing in his seat. That was just, odd, and somewhat frightening.

"Traffic footage has been downloaded," Sanchez reported, finally tearing his gaze away from the Lieutenant. "We have clear images of Newel, in her car, driving around the victim's neighborhood, ma'am." He studied her for a moment, and then tilted his head and arched a brow.

"Once we get her into interview," Andy stated, rising and walking over to join the others. Mainly so he could restrain his partner. He wasn't sure if Provenza was excited, having a seizure, or doing some odd variation of the potty dance. On him, they all looked the same. "We're going to hit her with the evidence we've got, and see if we can poke enough holes in her statement to get our friends down at the DA's office interested in offering a deal."

"While she is in interview," Tao looked up and turned his chair so that he was facing them. "I am going to go down and take a walk through the garage. I'll accidentally see if I can spot something that looks like our murder weapon in her car." He popped a donut hole into his mouth and held the bag out for the Captain. When she declined, he shrugged. "Are you telling people now?" He asked, directing his attention first at Sharon, and then at Flynn.

Andy looked up, glanced at Sharon, then looked back at Tao. "Telling people what?" He tilted his head and raised a brow, feigning a puzzled expression. "That you are secretly devious and sneaky, everyone already knows that, Mike. It's not a secret really."

"Really?" Sanchez looked up at him. He slanted a look at the Captain and then he shrugged at Tao. "I don't know man."

"I'm telling you," Mike said.

"I know what you've been saying," Julio replied. "But I don't know. Maybe."

"_Maybe_?" Tao shook his head.

"What? I'm not asking her," Julio hissed, as if she wasn't standing right there, watching the back and forth with a small smile on her face.

"Gentlemen," Sharon interrupted. "Is there something that I can, perhaps, help you with?" She folded her arms over her chest and that only enhanced the outline of her small bump, beneath the flowing dress.

Tao gave Sanchez a pointed look. "Seriously?"

"Oh for the love of god!" Provenza's hands slapped against the surface of his desk. He stood up. "Would you say _something_ already?" He scowled at Flynn. "I'm dying to know here. You've made me wait all night." He practically whined.

Andy exchanged a look with Sharon. He gave her a little shrug. She wanted to pull them into the conference room, make a little speech, and then let it drop. It wasn't exactly going the way she intended.

She rolled her eyes at him. He had warned her that this might happen. She decided to let him have this one, and gave a small nod. She inhaled deeply and smiled.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. Andy's lips pursed. He looked at his shoes first, then slanted a look at his partner. "We're going to need cleats."

"How about that!" Provenza slapped the back of his shoulder so hard, he almost knocked him forward. For the second time in two days. He grinned widely. The others were still looking confused, or somewhat cautious. He threw his hands up. "It's a boy!"

"Oh my god!" Sykes caught on immediately, and realized what had been so different. Her jaw dropped and she looked mildly disturbed.

"Told you," Tao smirked at Sanchez.

The detective shook his head. He looked over at Flynn. He punched his arm, lightly. "Dog."

Andy couldn't restrain himself anymore. He flashed a wide, cocky smirk. "Yeah, I did that." She glowered at him, rather darkly, but he just shrugged in response. He couldn't help himself. It had to be said.

"Alright, alright," Sharon waved them all down. "Let's remember where we are and what we're here to do."

Buzz walked in to the room, carrying a tray with several coffee cups. He looked around and frowned. "What did I miss?"

"It's a boy," Tao told him.

"Oh." He nodded once. Then he looked at Sanchez. "Told you."

"Did _everyone_ know?" Sharon looked around the room.

"I didn't." Sykes raised a hand. "I really did _not _have any idea."

"It was pretty obvious, Captain," Tao said. "Well, I guess if you've got a wife and you've got kids. Or went to medical school. Or are even the least bit observant." He smiled. "You got a bit green in autopsy that last time, and an hour later you said you were starving. It was odd, but my wife used to do that all the time. You've also been somewhat mood prone, and for about a week Flynn was walking around looking somewhat frightened." Tao shrugged. "One plus two makes three," he gestured absently toward her middle.

"Then you stopped wearing heels," Buzz said. "You stopped ordering just salads at lunch, and started adding more protein and calories in general."

"You won't go near the break room," Sanchez said. "I haven't seen you with coffee in weeks, and when anyone comes back with a cup, you usually leave the room pretty quick if you can. But you will take fries when they are offered, and that is definitely new. Although, for the record, I didn't want to speculate, ma'am."

"Don't be Captain's pet," Buzz made a face at him. He passed around the coffee, careful to keep it away from the captain. For her, he had gotten the ginger tea she had become partial to. "Another clue," he said, when he handed it to her.

"With all do respect, Captain," Tao smiled up at her. "We do this kind of thing for a living. Oh, and congratulations."

"Yeah." Sanchez stated, but he shot another look at Flynn. "We'll talk."

"Notice how everyone is all worried about your reputation," Andy said drily, "no one cares about mine." He shook his head. "Rusty figured it out too," he told them. "When we told him this morning he was like, your point? Remind us never to commit a crime, the only person we fooled was Sykes."

"But you're just so _old_," she exclaimed, her nose wrinkling.

"Uh huh." Provenza pointed at her, but was smirking at the Captain. "That one you hired so someone would _like_ you. How's that working out for you?"

Sharon gave him a warning look. "Okay, fine, we failed at keeping the big secret. Thank you all, once again. Now if we could just return to—"

"Just one last question," Buzz interrupted. "When are you due, ma'am. That was the only thing we couldn't figure out on our own."

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and smiled, a bit self consciously at having the prolonged attention on herself. "Mid-November," she said. "Probably a little sooner, but definitely the first half of November."

"I'll put twenty on Halloween," Provenza chirped with a grin. "What better day for Witch's spawn to be hatched?"

Sharon rolled her eyes and turned away from them. "When Ms. Newel arrives, someone let me know, please? Thank you." She walked back to her office, intent on getting some work done, even if her team was not… however touching their attention was.

"Really?" Andy waited until she was in her office with the door closed. "You had to go there?" He scowled at his partner. "She's very emotional right now. Maybe you could be a little less _you_ and a little more considerate?"

"What?" Provenza shrugged. "She thought it was funny. I could tell. I can always tell. The bottom lip twitched. It always does when she's trying to ignore the fact that I am very amusing."

"You're very something, it ain't usually amusing," Flynn shot back.

Buzz snickered, along with the others. "So, what is the plan? I guess everything is okay," he ventured cautiously, not wanting to cross that line into personal territory, but just as concerned as everyone else.

Suddenly everyone's eyes were on him again, including the very disturbed looking Sykes. Andy leaned against the edge of the desk again and shrugged. "Hell of a thing, but you know, everything is fine. Sharon's healthy, baby's healthy, and the kids are okay with it. More or less." He glanced at Provenza. "Nathan doesn't know yet. Nicole will tell him." That they didn't talk much was well known between the two partners."

"And Rusty?" Buzz asked more carefully, looking more concerned than before. The kid could be a time bomb of inconsiderate outbursts and insecure feelings. He had gotten better, a lot better, but he still had his moments.

"Doesn't need big brother Buzz slapping him down," Andy flashed a crooked grin. "He did good. Apparently, already figured it out on his own, so whatever fit he would have had, he already got over it and never let Sharon see it." Andy paused, just for a moment. "He was worried about, you know, if that meant we'd ask him to leave. Sharon handled that this morning, and now the kid is fine."

Buzz nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Maybe I'll see if he wants to get a movie. If he isn't fine, best that he say something to someone sooner rather than later." He smiled and continued on to his own work station.

"Yeah," Andy nodded. "That'd be great."

"It will be fine," Provenza stated. "Rusty knows now where he belongs. He's always known. We'll keep an eye on him."

Andy grinned. For all his bluster of not liking the younger generation, his grumpy old partner had gotten attached to the teenager. They all had, in one way or another. The team was family, and Rusty belonged to Sharon. He was family too. "In the meantime, I suggest we actually get some work done," Andy said. "As much as I hate to be the hall monitor, let's keep the Captain's stress levels down, yeah?"

The shift from name to title from Andy was a tell-tale sign that the discussion was over as he moved back to his desk to gather his notes. The others turned their attention back to the case also. By late afternoon, they had Marisa Newel in custody, and were waiting for a court appointed attorney to be assigned for the deal making aspect of the case.

"I don't know what you think we're going to find between now and November," Andy stated much later over dinner. Rusty was out with friends again, enjoying the freedom of summer. He speared a piece of steamed zucchini from her plate and popped it into his mouth.

"I don't know either but we need to look," Sharon said. "We're growing out of this place fast, and your apartment is a one bedroom. We'll be fine for a few months after the baby gets here, a crib in our room will suffice. Eventually, though, we're going to be in trouble."

"I think we're already in trouble." Andy waggled his brows at her.

"Focus." She took a piece of broccoli off his plate and leaned back, chewing thoughtfully. "School districts really won't matter, he'll go to St. Joe's, so we could get Tao to pull some statistics on current crime rates in—"

"What do you mean he'll go to St. Joe's?" Andy tilted his head at her. "It's a little early to be deciding that, isn't it?"

"Andy," she smiled indulgently at him. "All of my kids went to St. Joseph's, it's a very good school. I don't see why this child would be exempt."

"Maybe I don't want my kid going to Catholic school," he ventured, leaning forward. "Both of my others went to public school, and they were fine."

Sharon frowned. She never realized this would be an issue. "Yes, and I'm not disparaging that in any way, honey. But look at what happens in public schools every day. The public school system is just so…" She made a face and hummed quietly. "I'm not saying that St. Joe's is perfect, but Ricky and Charlotte did well there, and look at how well it worked for Rusty."

"You mean the whole six months that he actually got to go?" Andy shook his head. "There are other schools in the city. Public and private, and I get that you wanted that kind of structure for Rusty. You had to pick a school, and fast, and you went with what you knew. We've got time to figure it out, don't you think?"

"I suppose." She lay her fork down and clasped her hands in her lap. "It wouldn't hurt to look around in any case. Although, we should do so sooner rather than later, especially if a school district is going to play a part in choosing a neighborhood."

Andy lifted his plate and Sharon's when she indicated she was finished, and carried both into the kitchen. "This has to be one of the single most ridiculous conversations we've had yet. I'm closer to sixty than I ever want to think about, and I'm talking about sending a kid to school, and not the college variety."

"It is a bit." Her head inclined. "Even realizing that I'd have to move again wasn't an issue, I always knew this place wouldn't be big enough for you and I, the kids, the grandkids, and so forth," she waved a hand. "I just thought it would happen when it was time, like the rest of our relationship."

"We're over achievers." Andy smirked at her. "Well, you are. I'm along for the ride," he winked at her. He watched her stand and clear the rest of the table, barefoot and still in her work dress, but always lovely. He took the glasses and napkins out of her hands. "I got it. Go put your feet up." He dropped a kiss onto her mouth.

"Are you sure?" She smiled warmly. "Andy, you don't have to wait on me hand and foot. I am capable of doing the dishes."

"I know," he indulged. "But you're tired, and I feel like waiting on you hand and foot. Go get your laptop, put your feet up, and check out real estate listings. Okay?" He kissed her again, then gave her a small nudge toward the living room.

"Alright." She let herself be convinced because her ankles were aching. Sharon got settled with the laptop, and then broke one of her own rules. She put her feet up on the coffee table with a sigh.

There wasn't much cleanup involved when it was only the two of them, and they had ordered out. Andy put everything in the dishwasher and started it, before clearing away the rest of their takeout. She was focused on her computer, and from where he stood, he saw her scrolling through listings. Every once in a while she would wrinkle her nose at something she saw, or open a listing in a separate tab for later review. Andy smiled. He wondered if she even realized, while she sat there, that she had one hand draped over her belly, thumb moving back and forth in a slow caress. He finished wiping his hands and walked over to join her.

He loosened his tie just a little more after sitting beside her and tilted his head, glancing at the choices she was perusing. Then he shook his head and leaned over. His lips were soft against her temple. "St. Joe's is important to you?" He asked quietly.

She stilled, and nodded gently. "It is, but I understand. We have differing views, and there are hundreds of other good schools in the city."

It was the slight catch in her tone. She would compromise, she would accept, and she would be happy with whatever choice she made. Andy shook his head again and tipped her face up. He kissed her softly. "St. Joe's it is. Find a house you like. Forget about the schools."

Sharon drew back and gazed at him. "Really? Andy, I won't forc—"

"You're not," he cut her off. "I'm saying that it's okay with me. It's important to you, and you're important to me. What do I know about schools today, huh? I wasn't around much when my kids were in school. Look, I might have differing views on the religious thing, but I trust you." He cupped her cheek. "You're not going to send our kid to a bad school. So we'll stick with St. Joe's, and we'll find a house in a nice neighborhood."

Moisture filled her eyes, making them shine a deeper shade of green. "Andy." She leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against the corner of his mouth. "Thank you," she murmured.

"No." His nose nuzzled her cheek. "Thank you, Sharon." He kissed her again, and then drew her closer. Andy kissed her neck and slipped an arm around her. He turned sideways on the sofa, settling in the corner, and pulled her between his outstretched long legs. They only just fit. With Sharon resting back against his chest, he helped her balance the computer until she was comfortable, and then lay his other hand across her stomach, their fingers twining. "Show me what you found so far," he rumbled against her ear.

Her lips curved. She lay her head against his shoulder and tipped it so that her forehead was resting against the curve of his jaw. "I want that one." She showed him the house, entirely too large, even for their extended family.

"_Sharon_." Andy sighed. "When I said pick one, there was an implied budget."

"I said I want it," she chuckled. "I didn't say we could have it."

"Uh huh. Let's try again." His free hand swept hers aside on the track pad and scrolled through the listing.

There was no way they'd find anything in a single night, but curled together, they looked, and they discussed, and they dreamed.


	6. Chapter 6

Everything She Does - Chapter 6

by Kadi

Rated: T

* * *

Despite her outward calm and grace, being pregnant at fifty-three was not a walk in the park. Even once they moved beyond the uncertainty and turmoil of the first delicate weeks, she was tired and she was cranky, and there were still moments when she asked herself if she was insane. She knew that Andy had them too, in that they were not alone. At some point, she stopped caring what others thought, it simply didn't matter to her, there was too much else to take into consideration. If her colleagues stared a little too long, or whispered a little too loudly, it just wasn't important to her.

Major Crimes had done what it tended to do in those situations. They closed ranks. It was touching, but also a little frustrating. She had broken up more than one tense situation, mostly between Sanchez and whoever he was getting ready to throttle. Andy was just as bad, but he was trying, and she loved him, temper and all. When she decided that she simply did not have the energy to control them anymore, she allowed Lieutenant Provenza to do so, and he tightened the leash on both officers. They were both like a couple of little school boys, duly chastised, and she just couldn't stay mad at them for long.

House hunting became more of a chore than they ever imagined that it could be. They hired a real estate agent and turned over a list of specific requirements and neighborhoods. They couldn't always look at them together. Rusty accompanied her when Andy could not, or Gavin tagged along when his schedule permitted. More than once, Provenza was her partner for the day. On one awkward occasion, it was even Tao. Or Andy went, accompanied by his partner, and on a few occasions, even his daughter.

Nicole was surprisingly supportive, to Andy at least. Sharon found it wonderful that his daughter was reaching out to him. Although her support was not limited to only her father.

Sharon glanced at the young woman, walking alongside her as they strolled along a sidewalk laid out in the Santa Monica shopping district. The boutique she was visiting had been suggested to her by Emma Rios, of all people. As it turned out, Emma had a younger sister, a much younger sister, born while she was in college. Rios's mother had found this place, chic and designer maternity clothes geared toward the _mature_ woman. It was a clear and sunny Saturday morning, and Andy was at a game with Provenza. They'd had these tickets for weeks, it was one of the final games of the regular season and she wouldn't let him beg off. Gavin had meant to accompany her, but he was called away to San Diego at the last minute by a client who'd gotten himself into a pickle.

"I appreciate you sacrificing your saturday for this," Sharon stated, smiling at the woman that was her lover's daughter.

Nicole laughed. "Are you kidding? I love to shop. Especially without the boys. Don't get me wrong, I love the whole stepmom thing, but I also like getting away. Besides, it sets Dad's mind at ease if you have a sitter," she teased.

Sharon rolled her eyes. "That man. He is driving me nuts." The farther along she got, the more neurotic he became. He was worried about her, she knew, and she loved him for it. It was still crazy making.

"He's waiting for the bottom to drop out," Nicole said knowingly, but with a smile. "You're seven months, there's not much time left. He's freaking out."

"He is." Sharon laughed. "But this kid is strong, and I'm not worried."

Nicole looked at her. "Uh huh."

That look was all Flynn. Sharon sighed. "Okay, I'm worried. Don't tell your father. If he even thinks, for one second, that I'm worried then he will—"

"Blow a gasket?" Nicole smirked. "I'm not telling. No ma'am, not me. Not a word." She glanced at the woman who was, most likely, going to be her stepmother very soon. "Everything is still going well, right? You look great."

"I feel great." She glanced at Nicole and sighed. "I feel fat. I'm tired. I ache. This is not glamorous, and at my age…" She exhaled and shrugged. "It's completely insane. I am worried." They stopped walking and stepped out of the path of foot traffic. "I worry about Andy, if anything happens, to me or to the baby, then he's stuck in this situation and it terrifies me what that could do to him. He's strong, and he's determined, and he is so steady, but yes I worry. I worry about Rusty, and how this situation is affecting him. I worry about my other kids. And his, too, of course," She added with a smile. "I worry about this baby, growing up with aging parents, and what's going to happen to him when we're in our sixties and he's growing up, or our seventies when he's starting college."

Nicole allowed her to get it out, and smiled in understanding. She tilted her head. "But you look great." She touched her arm, just briefly. They didn't know each other well, but that was changing. "I think it's going to be okay, but I understand. It's not what you planned on. Dad is… I'm worried about that too. But I grew up with my dad stuck in a bottle, so yeah, I worry he might go back there. But I don't think he will. He's got you, and even if he didn't… he'd be okay, I think. I'm seeing that, finally. You guys don't have to worry. I know you will, but you don't. Jake and I talked about it. If anything happened to you guys, we'd take him. Then you've got your other kids, and I'm sure they would too. So just enjoy it, all of it, as much as you can."

"You really are your father's daughter," Sharon said, voice thick with emotion. She blinked back tears, and nodded. "I see that in you. He doesn't, and I'm not sure that you do either. You have his wit, but you have his strength too. You're right, he has me now, but everything that he's done, it's been all him. Please don't ever forget that. He needs you, and your brother."

"We need him," Nicole shrugged. "Nathan is… well, he's stubborn. Gets it from dad, although he'd never admit it. He's got mom too much in his ear, and it really is only since marrying Jake that I see that. I love my mother, but where my father is concerned, her opinions are pretty strong."

"Yes they are, and we should respect them, even if we don't like or agree with them." Sharon stated. They began walking again. "Your parents marriage was their own, all the good and the bad. We can't take a stance on any mistakes they may have or may not have made. Your father owns his part in all of it. Nathan is a grown up now, he will have to choose his own path. Just as you have. We can't get involved."

"You know… I'm really glad that he found you," Nicole said. "Even if you are a high-priced call girl," she giggled.

"Obviously, I should start charging more," Sharon said drily, gesturing at her belly.

"Well," Nicole drawled, drawing the word out. "Dad may have handed me something when I picked you up." She reached into her purse and pulled out her father's American Express card. "I have been instructed to tell you to go nuts and not to take any arguments. He promises me that you're off balance right now, and I can take you."

Sharon arched a brow. "Did he now," she said slowly. "Well then." She took the card and smirked. "It's going to serve him right. I need shoes too."

Nicole laughed. "That's the spirit."

Without another word, they stepped into the boutique and got to work.

A few weeks later, Andy was still slightly dizzy from the amount of work his AmEx had gotten, but he was handling it. If there were boxes now cluttering the back hall because Sharon bought a crib, a changing table, and god knew what else that he was supposed to put together, well, she was happy about it. Or she was. Until she realized there wasn't a damned thing they could do with any of it, because there was no where to _put_ any of it. Why was it so damned hard to find a house in a city that was full of freaking houses. He didn't understand that, but they were trying to be patient. Only, they were running out of time, and suddenly, it was not so okay to not have a nursery to put the baby in. Hormones. They'd taken over his very existence. He just kept reminding himself that he loved that woman, even when she was nuts. Especially when she was nuts, because it was all his fault.

"Where the hell is this place?" Flynn squinted at the neighborhood around them as his car moved slowly down the lane. He and Sanchez were on their way to suss out a possible witness in their latest case.

"Fifteenth and Sequoia," Sanchez stated again. "It's supposed to be down here somewhere."

"I haven't seen fifteenth street yet," Andy groused. They were driving down Sequoia. "I see Magnolia, I see Oliver, but where the hell is Fifteenth? What is the point of the damned GPS if it doesn't get us where we're supposed to go?"

Sanchez shot a sideways glance at him. The Lieutenant was surlier than usual. "Is everything okay, sir?" He might regret asking, he knew, but with all that was going on, he thought it bore checking into.

Andy heaved a loud sigh. "It's fine." His hands tightened around the steering wheel. He shook his head. "It's just… you know, it's not fine. It's a damned mess, and there is nothing that I can do to fix it. I'm having a kid, Julio. I should be having a grandkid, but no, I'm having a kid. At my age. That isn't even the problem, because it's not a problem. We decided to do this, come hell or high water, and we're doing it. The damnedest thing is, we're actually looking forward to it now. But we can't do anything that we need to do to get ready for this kid that is coming, very damned soon by the way, because we're tripping over each other in that damned condo. The woman has asked me to do one thing for her, just one, and that's find her a house. But I can't find her a house because none of them have been right. They're too big, it's too small, the yard isn't large enough. The yard is too small. The kitchen's not right. It's too far from the office, it's too close to the office. The whole damned thing is driving me crazy." Andy blew out another breath. "She's upset." That was the heart of his frustration. "We're getting married in a few days, because more than anything, she wants to be married before the baby is born, and it's killing her that her kids won't be here. Her son is hip deep in a case that he can't get away from, and the daughter is in the middle of a show. They've offered, you don't know how many times they've offered to get on a plane and be here, and she won't let them leave their lives to fly back. But it's killing her. So we're just going to do it. We got a license, and we're going down to City Hall, and we're just going to do it and tell everyone after the fact. She doesn't want a big fuss. We're not even telling Rusty. Just do it and get it over with, and you know, I could deal with that. God knows I don't care how I get her, I just want _her_, but I know she wants more."

Julio didn't know what to say. It was more than he expected, but he supposed Flynn needed to say it. To someone, anyone really. He thought about it for a few moments, finally he shook his head. He offered a small grin. "I think she just wants you. Of course she wants her kids to be here when she promises to love you for the rest of her life. She wants a healthy baby. She wants Rusty to go to college and do well. She wants you, because she loves you. She can't have everything that she wants, but she's hanging on to what she does have, and that's enough."

"Is it?" Andy slanted a look at him. "She deserves so much more. I feel like I'm failing her. I feel like a first class bastard for doing any of this to her." He was silent for a moment before adding, grimly, "We fought last night. Over nothing. It was stupid. She went to the bedroom, and I went out onto the balcony to cool off. She came out a few minutes later to apologize, and thought I left. I found her sobbing on the sofa because she thought that I left her. That's what Jack did. They fought, and he left her, and every damned time he left her, he made it about her, and not his own failures. She isn't an insecure person, she's never second guessed us before. It's the hormones, I know it, and she knows it. It's driving her just as batty, not being in control like she normally is. It's just all so…"

"Normal?" Julio was grinning at him again. "It sounds normal to me, sir. Sounds like any guy I've ever known whose girl was having their baby. You want to give her the world and you want to take care of her, and you feel bad for being the cause of all the negative things that she's going through." He looked out the window and shrugged. "When my wife died, I didn't think I'd ever breathe again. I started to ask myself if I loved her enough. If she knew. I thought that if I could just go back, I'd love her more than she ever thought possible. It was later, years maybe, I understood that she was happy. She was happy when she died, not because I gave her the world, but because I gave her _my_ world." Sanchez looked at him again. "It's enough, sir."

"I'm terrified," Andy admitted quietly. "I can't lose her, Julio. I never thought… I never even imagined. I wasn't expecting this. I sure as hell wasn't expecting _her_. Now I can't picture a single minute of my future without her in it."

"I know." He smiled again. "All you can do is let her know, every day, that you love her."

Andy shook his head. "When did you get so damned philosophical?"

"You never asked," Julio shot back.

"Maybe I should more often. Provenza would just tell me to pull my head out of my—" He was glancing at Julio when he saw it. He hit the breaks and the car screeched to a stop.

"What the hell?" Sanchez was almost thrown into the dash. His hand came up to brace himself and he tossed a look at the Lieutenant. "What was that?"

"That." Andy jerked the steering wheel and pulled the car to the curb and got out.

Sanchez frowned and followed him. The Lieutenant jogged up the walkway, leading to a large wood and brick structure set back from the road. Most of the old houses in the neighborhood had large front yards, several with large oak trees framing them in. "Lieutenant?"

There was a porch, which wrapped from front to side. Cement stairs led onto it, and there were brick columns holding the overhang up. It was empty, as indicated by the for sale sign in front of it. Andy moved to one of the front windows and gazed inside. The rooms, what he could see of them, were large and airy. Dark, hardwood flooring. He walked around the house. Large, pane glass windows. Two stories, with an attached garage. He looked over the fence to the back and grinned. The back of the house opened onto a large, wooden deck. California red oak, if he didn't miss his guess. From the deck, there was a stone pathway which wrapped around the yard, and a fairly good sized swimming pool. The deck was gated.

"That's it, Julio." Andy strode back toward him. "That's exactly it."

"What's it, sir?" He was still confused, this was not their location.

"I just found Sharon's house." He slapped his shoulder, and then jogged back toward the car. "Come on, let's go find our witness. I have to call our real estate agent."

The detective followed him again at a more sedate pace. Once he was back in the car, he shook his head. "But you haven't even seen the inside. She hasn't seen it. How can you just—"

"I know." He grinned. "Trust me, that's it. I know my girl, Julio. She's going to love it."

It was like flipping a switch, in an instant, the surly, uncertain mood was gone. Even when they realized that they'd entered the wrong address into the GPS, he remained cheerful. They were on Sequoia Lane, and what they'd needed was Sequoia Boulevard. Julio reflected as they made their way to the correct location… the Captain wasn't the only one with hormone issues.

Andy had the real estate agent arrange a viewing for them. Sharon was skeptical when they arrived. "It looks _too_ good," she told him.

"It might be." He shrugged. "Doesn't hurt to check it out. I think this is the one." So much, that he'd told the agent to make the bid. He hadn't told Sharon _that_, at least, not yet. If she hated it, he would withdraw the bid. His gut was telling him she wouldn't. "Let's give it a chance," he slipped his arm around her and they joined the agent on the porch.

Part of her wondered if she was just being too picky. The baby was arriving in a few weeks. The date was set for a scheduled cesarean, her doctor's suggestion, given her age. Sharon leaned into Andy's side while they walked through the first floor. She listened while he asked questions, but her attention was focused internally. The rooms were lovely, open and airy. It was nice enough. She didn't feel the initial dislike that she experienced with the other houses they'd looked at. They didn't have time for more dislike. The baby needed a nursery. Just like he needed a name, and clothes, and for his parents to be married. Andy wasn't rushing her, but she felt the need to have it done before the baby was born. She couldn't explain it, not to Andy. She didn't want to speak it out loud. Sharon couldn't help feel that if she voiced her fears, she would only worry him more, and he was worried enough about her. If anything happened to her, she wanted his rights protected. She knew that she was being morbid, but she was fifty-three and having a baby. They were thoughts which snuck in from time to time.

She was thinking about the fact that they were going to City Hall after seeing the house, and in two hours she'd have at least one item ticked off her list as they followed the agent up the stairs to the second floor. She showed them the master bedroom first, and it was very nice. The same hard wood flooring of the second floor was continued throughout the second. The bathroom was large, with double vanities, and she thought that might come in handy.

It was the the bedroom across the hall from the master which drew her attention. It was wide, with large windows and built-in shelves. There was so much light, bouncing off the pale yellow walls. She looked around, mind not considering a dozen different things for once, and could picture it. Sharon moved away from Andy, to one of the large, pane glass windows, and found that the view was overlooking the back yard. It was beautifully landscaped, although the pool gave her pause. She leaned back against Andy when his arms settled around her. His hands gently stroked the sides of her stomach, causing their son to stretch. That brought a smile to her face and banished the fears which had snuck up on her. He responded to Andy more than anyone. A caress and a quietly rumbled request would calm him if he was too active, or a touch, like now, could prompt his attention. "Hmm."

"What do you think?" He dropped his chin to rest against her shoulder. She had been quiet, and that worried him. Movement beneath his hand drew his attention, and he eased the spot where their son had kicked. "The deck has a gate. The pool wouldn't be a problem. We could get an alarm, just in case. Put one on the gate, another in the pool. I know four bedrooms is a bit more than we talked about, but we could make the last one a guest room. For your kids, when they visit." Andy pressed a kiss to her neck, "Or a place for you to send me when I'm bad."

That drew a soft laugh. "I thought I'd make you sleep on the sofa, just like all the other husbands on the planet."

"Damn," he sighed, playfully. "I tried."

"You get points for the effort," she said. "It's lovely," Sharon decided. "It feels good."

"But?" He had hesitated, even if just for a second.

"No," She smiled. "No but. I was just thinking. I like it," Sharon decided. "This is it. You were right, this is the one."

Andy breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, because I had her make a bid on after I saw it." He gave her sheepish smile. "It _felt_ right. I took a chance."

"You're taking a lot of chances on me lately," she murmured.

He turned his lips to ear. "Always," he whispered. Andy kissed the side of her head and drew away to talk to the agent. They were taking it. Now, with any luck, they could get moved in before the baby was born… and so far, luck had been on their side.


	7. Chapter 7

Everything She Does - Chapter 7

by Kadi

Rated: T

* * *

Getting married was a quiet affair, and afterward, it hadn't mattered _how_ they'd done it, only that they had. It was only the two of them, and while they would have liked to have had their children present, it had worked out. Whatever regret they'd felt going in to City Hall was gone when they left. They drove back to the office afterward, only to find an impromptu celebration and been organized by the squad. Sanchez had spoken to Provenza, who had organized the team, along with Rusty, into the surprise congratulatory party held in the Major Crimes break room. The simple, heartfelt gesture had meant more than any reception might have. In the absence of their children, this was their family, and its was perfect.

Moving in to the new house was far more complicated than it should have been, and delayed due to it being part of an estate only recently released from probate. They were faced with red tape and paperwork, formalities which had to be waded through and dealt with before it could officially be theirs. In the meantime, they began packing up the condo, boxing anything which wasn't needed or nailed down. Andy hired movers to pack his apartment, anything he needed was already at Sharon's condo. He hadn't actually lived in his own apartment in months.

When Sharon's blood pressure began to run much too high for her doctor's liking, she took the early maternity leave. Not working was difficult, and she felt guilty leaving the team shorthanded, but the alternative was bed rest if she didn't slow down. She spent her days washing and folding baby clothes and receiving blankets. She read, she played chess with Rusty when he was home - albeit badly. She packed dishes and clothes she couldn't wear anymore, and silently went out of her mind with boredom.

She called Andy several times a day. He always answered, unless he was in autopsy or an interview. He knew that Sharon would text him 911 if it was an emergency. Otherwise, he always answered the phone with a soft chuckle and a, "No I am not sending you copies of the case files." She always whined playfully, and tried to wheedle him into sending them anyway.

Rusty had gotten ahold of his phone again. Every time Sharon called him, the Imperial March from _Star Wars_ would play, and he couldn't get either of them to admit it, but Andy knew that Provenza had put the kid up to it. Andy left it, because he knew changing it would just prompt Rusty to do something that was likely worse. He no longer even looked at his phone when he heard the familiar ring tone.

He was in Electronics with most of the rest of the team, and Taylor, when it went off during an interview. Andy rolled his eyes at the snickers. "The kid still thinks he's a comedian." He lifted it to his ear without hesitating, not even caring that Taylor was giving him a disapproving look. "You have a doctor's appointment, you'd best not be shopping again, Mrs. Flynn." Andy smirked, because it made Taylor tense. He made her appointments when he could, but she understood when he couldn't. He didn't like it, but she insisted that he stay at work.

"Andy."

Something in her voice made him sit upright and lose the grin. She was tense, strained, and when he'd spoken to her just a few hours before, she was playful and relaxed. "What is it?" He stood and left the room, ignoring the looks that he was getting, or the way that everyone's attention shifted from the interview Sykes and Sanchez were conducting.

She drew a breath and let it out slowly. "He's showing signs of distress. Doctor Blaire thinks he's gotten tangled in the cord. I'm on my way to St. Catherine's, they're taking him today."

His chest constricted. It was early, they still had a few weeks to go. Andy wondered if this was their luck finally running out, but clamped down on the feeling. "I'm on my way. I'll call the kid. Do you want me to call Ricky and—"

"No," she said quickly. "They won't get here in time, we'll call them after. Call Nicole, and I'll see you soon?"

"I'm leaving now." He already had his jacket in hand, and was digging into the pockets for his car keys. "Hey," Andy spoke with more calm than he felt. "Relax. He's impatient, gets it from his mother. Just take a breath, I'll be there soon."

"Gets it from his father, you mean." She took another deep breath. "We'll wait as long as we can. Andy, hurry." She needed him. Sharon wouldn't let the terror sink in, not completely, but she felt the chill trying to take hold.

Andy turned and nearly collided with his partner. "They're delivering today. Baby's in trouble," his jaw clenched.

"I'm driving." Provenza insisted. "Tao," he called toward electronics. "Have Julio and Sykes wrap it up. Flynn and I are out of here. You've got the fort." He paused. "We'll send an update. Someone call Rusty, send him over to St. Catherine's. Let's go," he told Flynn, directing him to the door.

Taylor had appeared, and Andy stiffened, prepared for a confrontation. Every muscle in his body went taut with anticipation. He gripped his phone tighter. His dark eyes narrowed. He had one thought in his head, and that was getting to his wife, even if he had to go through Taylor to do it. "Chief," he snapped out quickly.

The other man had his phone out as well. "I'll get you an escort," he was saying, although the words weren't quite registering. "I'll have Reynolds and Marcus from Robbery-Homicide come up and take possession of the suspect. They can run the prelims while the team is occupied." The timing was inconvenient as hell, but think what they might, he was no fool. He wasn't going to get anything out of the Department while several key members were otherwise occupied, the three most senior among them. This was why, he reflected, the fraternization rules were in place, but in true Major Crimes fashion, they hadn't really broken any of them.

"Fine," Provenza stated. "That's fine. In that case, Buzz, you'll go get Rusty and _bring_ him to the hospital. We're going now." He prodded Flynn forward, and his partner went, argument avoided.

St. Catherine's was not a large facility, but it was well appointed and had one of the better maternity centers in the city. It was also where Sharon had delivered each of her other children. She was comfortable with it. That was all Andy had cared about. By the time he arrived he had a text with a room number, and another from Buzz that he was on his way with Rusty. He had spoken to Nicole in the car, she was getting a sitter and meeting them there. His son still wasn't speaking to him, news that he was starting a new family hadn't gone over well, and right at that moment Andy couldn't quite drum up the energy to remain upset about that. Worry had his stomach in knots, and he'd only half paid attention in the car to the sound of his partner telling him that everything was fine, it would be okay. Andy wasn't prepared to believe anything until he saw her. Now he was kicking himself for letting her go alone today, although it was just a routine visit. Then he reminded himself, nothing about their situation had been routine, it shouldn't even be happening.

Andy knocked before entering the room. They already had her in a gown and on an IV. There was a monitor, beating a steady rhythm much to fast to be her heart rate. When she looked up at him her face was its usual mask, but the eyes told a different story. There were two nurses and her doctor in the room, creating a flurry of activity that he ignored. Andy moved immediately to her side. His hip hitched against the edge of the bed and he slipped an arm around her, drawing her in to his side. "Hospital blue is hot on you, who knew," he rumbled quietly. He felt the tremor run through her, even when she smiled tremulously up at him. Andy was reminded that although she didn't speak of it, or dwell on it, she had been here before. He held her closer. While her face pressed in to his shoulder, a hand dropped to her stomach. "Giving your mom a hard time, yeah? We'll have to talk about that. Pretty much my job, son."

She tipped her head back. There was moisture in her eyes, still carefully contained. Her lips trembled a bit. "Well, you know he doesn't listen to me. Typically Flynn."

"Ah," his lips pursed. "Well, he doesn't really know you yet. Give him time, he'll figure out you're not to be messed with." Andy bent his head and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. He pressed his forehead against hers, then nuzzled her cheek. "It will be okay," he murmured against her ear.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she stated quietly. Sharon leaned gratefully in to him, let his warmth sink in to her, chase away the chill. "Andy, we don't even have the crib put together, nothing is ready. What—"

"Hey," he leaned back, looked in to her eyes. "Stop worrying. I get to worry, you get to relax. It's going to be a couple of days before they'll let me take either of you home. There's time. I'll get a couple of the guys to help me. You've never seen Julio swing an allen wrench, kid's got skills. We'll put Rusty to work, it'll be good for him." He saw her eyes widen and another set of concerns take over. "On his way. Buzz has him." Andy grinned, he knew her too well. "Provenza is out in the waiting room coordinating everything else. I know you said not to call them, but you know me. I don't listen so great. He was talking to Ricky when I came in here. We'll have them both in the air within the hour. They'll be here. Maybe not in time for the big show, but they _will_ be here, Sharon."

She drew her bottom lip between her teeth and exhaled slowly through her nose. "I love you," she said. It was exactly what she wanted. How he always just _knew_, it never ceased to amaze her.

"Pretty much ditto, hot stuff." It drew another smile from her, and that was all he wanted.

"We're ready." Doctor Blaire cut in, somewhat regretfully. "We are going to take her down the hall, to the delivery OR," she began explaining for Flynn's benefit. "Just as we discussed previously, you can be with her." Her gaze focused on Sharon. "We'll have a team from NICU in the room. Once he's delivered, they'll take the baby and check him over. His size should be fine, it's the lungs we're worried about. But I don't want you to worry, Sharon. We're early, but we're only a few weeks early."

She shared a look with her husband and they both nodded. "We understand," she answered for both of them.

"Good." Doctor Blaire stepped back. "Let's go meet your very impatient, overly active son."

While Sharon was in pre-op, Andy quickly updated Provenza. Then he hurried back to get changed into the sterile scrubs that one of the nurses thrust at him. He joined Sharon in the OR, and they had a stool at the head of the table, waiting for him. His hand slid up her arm, arranged on the outstretched rests as he bent over her in the seat. "We need to talk about all this sexy hospital attire," he rumbled. "It's killin' me baby."

Sharon snorted at him. "You are disturbed, Flynn." She trembled, from the cold in the OR more than her own worry. They'd done the spinal block while he was getting ready. She couldn't feel anything below her chest. That was disconcerting, although she could still feel the cold in the chilly operating room.

"You knew that." He smirked at her. "You knew exactly what you were getting in to, honey, so no complaints now. You've seen it all, the good, the bad, and the extremely nasty." They could hear the medical staff talking, her doctor and the surgeon, but they were focused on each other.

She chuckled quietly. "I think that's pretty mutual. What was it that you used to call me? Captain Rulebook?"

"Used to?" Andy grinned at her. "No honey, we still call you that. We just like you more now."

"Well I should hope so," She drawled. "You're stuck with me."

"I like being stuck with you," he rumbled, and waggled his brows.

It was the oddest sensation that she had ever experienced. She could feel the pressure, the movement of all that was going on beyond the sheet separating them from the actual surgery, but nothing else. Sharon kept her gaze focused on Andy while trying not to think about it. "Wow, that's love." She laughed. "I'm laying on an operating table and you're still flirting. To think, some were actually worried about what would happen to your reputation. The LAPD's resident womanizer is still kicking."

"Shh, don't tell my wife," he whispered playfully. "She's armed. I've seen her shoot, and she can swing a fire extinguisher like no body's business."

"Mmhm, and don't you forget it. I'm very resourceful, any weapon in a—"

A low, unhappy mewl filled the room, interrupting them. The first sound was almost squeaking, and barely there, but it gained volume. "There he is." Andy kissed his wife and straightened on the stool. He craned his head toward the corner of the room, where they'd taken their son the moment he was delivered. Several of the NICU staff were surrounding the clear, plastic isolette. "Lungs sound fine to me, Shar. We might have to worry about whether or not he's got my temper, because that is one pissed off kid." He only got a glimpse or two of the flailing, unhappy newborn, but what he saw looked perfect. Andy turned his attention back to his wife. "You know, it could just be he didn't like—" Andy trailed off. Her eyes were closed and she was extremely pale. "Sharon." At the same moment he realized she wasn't responding, monitors around them began screaming. "Sharon" Andy stood up and bent over her, hand cupping her face. "Baby, look at me."

"Get him out of here," the surgeon ordered.

"Andy." It was her doctor, Evelyn, who moved from the table to capture his attention. "We need you to step out." A nurse joined her. "Go with Amelia, and I will come find you the minute that I have an update."

"She was fine," he said, a bit dazed. They were walking him backward. "She was talking, it was—"

"I know," Evelyn said gently. "But she's thrown a bleeder, and we're trying to stop it. We need you to go so that we can help her."

"Sir." The Nurse touched his arm. For a moment he was immovable, but he finally stepped away.

Andy walked, in something of a daze toward the waiting room. He was staring at the floor in front of him, but not really seeing it. The focus had always been on getting a healthy baby, and he had worried about the effect that this was having on his wife, but he never let himself really think that anything could happen to _her. _Was he getting his son, just to lose his wife?

He stepped in to the room and several heads turned toward him. Every face in the room expecting news, good news. Rusty stood up, practically bouncing with energy. Nicole was beside him. Andy's feet felt heavy as he walked toward them. He could see in the faces of the team that they'd read his expression. Buzz and Julio were pulling away slightly, to a more reserved distance. Tao joined them. Andy felt his partner move nearby, while he stood with his daughter and Rusty. "He's good. He's… trying to yell the place down." Andy moved a hand to his hip, for lack of anywhere else to put it. The other moved in to his hair. He took a breath, but his chest didn't want to fill. There was a deep, clenching ache there. Fear made his stomach twist painfully. "They were going to take him to NICU, check him over. I only saw him for a second, and just a glimpse. He was… he was good."

It was what he _wasn__'__t_ saying that made Rusty's smile fall. The Lieutenant was standing sort of… stiff, he thought. The way he was when he was weary of a suspect, or worried about something. "What—what about Sharon?"

Andy stared back at the kid. What could he say? He didn't actually know. They'd booted him out and told him to wait. For what? Good news? Bad? Had he seen his wife for the last time. He could still hear the low, throaty laughter from just minutes before. The sparkle in her eyes, despite her fear. Those eyes. The beautiful, expressive green that he could read so well. Even when her face was devoid of anything else, he could read a wealth of emotion in those eyes. Andy's gaze dropped slowly, he was trying to remember them, but the fear was fogging his mind's eye.

"Dad?" Nicole curled a hand around his upper arm.

He looked up at her, and then at Rusty again. "They're still with her," he said finally. "There was a problem with the surgery. They'll let me know." The kid paled, and all Andy could think was that Sharon would kill him if anything happened. Andy lay a hand on his shoulder and directed him back to his chair. "They'll find us soon."

"Momentarily, I'm sure," Provenza stated. He took control of Rusty, while Nicole moved her dad into a chair. "You know the Captain. Everything in her own time, and on her own schedule." He gave the boy's arm a pat and sat beside him. "Everything's fine, I'm sure. These doctors, they always overreact. You know Flynn," he tapped Rusty's arm with the back of his hand. "Drama queen."

"He worries a lot," Sanchez stated. "Remember the time he fainted."

"I'm surprised you remember," Buzz said quietly. "You were too busy flirting with DDA Rios."

"Priorities," Sanchez said.

"Pretty girls over unconscious, idiot Lieutenants," Provenza agreed. "Although his attention is a bit misdirected," he hooked a thumb at Sanchez. "He's got it worse than Flynn."

"You fainted?" Nicole looked confused.

"High blood pressure," was all Andy said. He was staring at the floor again.

"Sure it was." Provenza smirked.

"Yeah," Sanchez grinned, half-heartedly. "Then the Captain walks out of her office, looks at the Lieutenant," he nodded to Provenza. "And asks, what'd you do?"

"That should have been our first clue," Provenza snorted. "As if I had something to do with this idiot refusing to take the pills that the doctors were trying to prescribe."

Nicole's eyes were wide. "What happened?" She wondered how she had never heard this.

"The captain bent down, slapped Flynn, and told him to wake up." Sanchez smirked. "He did."

"He is the Captain's favorite pet monkey," Provenza snorted.

"Flynn." The voice came from the far end of the waiting room.

Andy stood up immediately. This was not one of Sharon's doctors. This was a younger guy, in deep blue scrubs. He walked toward him. "How's my wife?"

"That I don't know," the doctor said sympathetically. "I'm Doctor Jarod Matthews, I'm the Neonatologist. I'm overseeing your son's care." He waited for the recognition, then he smiled. "He's doing great. His lungs are functioning at full capacity. We're going to keep him in the NICU for a few hours, just to monitor, but everything checked out perfectly. You've got a completely healthy six-pound, four-ounce baby boy."

Andy exhaled, that was a relief. "That's big for a premie, isn't it?" He shook his head. "We were a few weeks early." He wasn't going to complain about good news, but it was the opposite of what they expected.

"Your wife's exact due date was ambiguous, due to her age, and a few other factors," Matthews stated. "He's small, but well within normal for where I think we are. I would estimate your wife was probably at thirty-six weeks, which puts her in the acceptable realm of being to term. We'll continue to monitor him for a little while, and then we'll move him to the nursery." The doctor smiled again. "I can actually take you up to see him now, if you'd like."

"Go." Provenza urged him. "We'll make sure they know where to find you. Captain would want you with him. We've got this under control," he jerked his head toward the shaken looking Rusty.

"Yeah," Andy exhaled. He knew Provenza was right. Sharon would kick his ass all over the hospital if she thought he'd left their son alone, without one of them looking over him. That thought brought a small smile, although it was short-lived. "Yeah, okay. Let's go."

He didn't feel any lighter walking away from the waiting room. The NICU was a separate department on the same floor. The doctor swiped a badge, letting them inside. After Andy had washed his hands, he was shown to an isolette near a row of windows. The baby inside was still crying, expressing his disdain. There were monitors around him, and he was wearing a cap and diaper, but little else as he lay beneath a lamp. The doctor stepped over and disconnected the leads. A nurse stood nearby with a blanket, and they quickly swaddled him before offering him to his father.

His hands shook a bit. Andy drew him close, felt him squirm and kick. "I understand you've been having quite the tantrum," he rumbled. His son's face screwed up into such a frown, such a look of indignation that he was completely reminded of his wife. Andy chuckled. "Yeah, your mom looks at me like that all the time too." He continued to speak, using the same low timber he always used when speaking to his son, the only difference now that he held him. His cries slowly faded to snuffles and mewls, before stopping completely. Andy had moved near the windows with him, letting the bright sunlight warm them both. He watched him yawn and smiled. "It has been a pretty big day, huh? How about we talk about mom for a minute, yeah? Now, I know the lady is going to drive you nuts, but we're going to have to cut her some slack, alright. She's pretty damned terrific, and now she's got two of us to deal with, we don't need to give her too hard a time. I'll do enough of that for both of us, I promise. So you be the good one, and I'll be troublemaker. She's used to that."

"Lieutenant Flynn." Evelyn Blaire stood nearby. She smiled. Her face was relaxed, even relieved. "Sharon is in recovery now. The surgeon was able to get the bleeding under control. We're replacing what she lost during the surgery, and they'll be moving her into a room within the hour. She's going to be just fine."

The relief almost staggered him. Andy leaned back against the ledge of the window. "What happened," he asked thickly, needing to know. "What went wrong? She was fine. You said that the cesarean would be routine, it was—"

"Yes." Evelyn cut him off. "But there's a risk with any surgery. In this case, the bleeding was caused when the placenta began to detach. There's no reason to believe it was the surgery, the vessels were delicate, and it likely would have happened during delivery regardless. She was lucky that she was already on the table. We were able to get it quickly."

Andy continued to hold their son close to his chest. "When can I see her?" His chest constricted again. He wouldn't truly believe them until he laid eyes on her.

"Soon," the doctor said. "I'll send someone for you after she's moved in to a room. In the meantime, enjoy that little guy. He looks great. Doctor Matthews told me the news. Congratulations, Lieutenant."

"Yeah." He glanced down, smiled again. Asleep, the boy only looked like his mother. Although it was usually hard to discern a newborn's features at all. Andy could only see Sharon. He knew she would argue that with him. It made his smile widen. "Yeah, he's perfect."

"Did the two of you decide on a name," she asked. They had still been debating the last time they were both in her office.

"No." Andy chuckled. "She wanted to meet him first. But we've got it down to a few choices. Who knows if she'll like any of them after she see's him. Although right now, she gets a pretty big pass," he told his son. "Good luck, kid."

"Well, I'll leave you to enjoy this little guy. I wanted to deliver the news myself," she said.

"Thanks doc, really." But Andy's attention hardly shifted from the sleepy newborn in his arms. Evelyn drew away, leaving him alone.

Andy left the NICU just long enough to call down and make sure Rusty and the others had the news that Sharon was fine. The next time he left, a nurse had come to tell him that Sharon was in a room. She was still unconscious when he joined her. Far too pale for his liking, but not nearly as bad as that one, frightening moment in the OR. Andy drew a chair close to the bed and sat, taking her hand. He held it in both of his. It was warm, which was reassuring. He drew it to his lips and sat, quietly waiting.

He was dozing when heard the low hum. Andy's eyes opened and he sat up in his chair. He had leaned back at some point, after the others had come by to check on her. He glanced at his watch. The hour was late. She had been out for some time. Charlotte had landed just an hour or so before, Ricky only an hour after she was moved in to her room. Both her kids had seen her, and their new brother, before withdrawing to let everyone rest. They'd gone down the hall to a small waiting room, with Rusty and the squad. Someone had ordered food, pizza if memory served. Andy moved to the edge of her bed and sat carefully on the thin mattress. "Hey there, beautiful." He took her hand and lay his other against her cheek. Her eyes fluttered, and then opened. He felt his world right itself again. "There you are."

"Hmm…" She shifted, and winced. Her eyes closed, for just a moment. The room came slowly back in to focus. "Happened?" Her head was swimming, and her body ached.

"You gave us a scare. Everything is fine now." The backs of his fingers stroked her cheek. "You started bleeding, but they fixed it."

She nodded slowly, the fog was clearing. She drew a breath and met his soft, smiling gaze. "The baby, what—"

He pressed a finger to her lips. "Perfect." Andy stood. "See for yourself." They'd brought him in a couple of hours before. Andy scooped the sleeping bundle out of the isolette and carried him over. He helped her ease up and lifted the head of her bed a bit. Then he lay the baby in her arms and slipped carefully into the bed beside her. His arms curved around her as he edged in, slightly behind her, against the thin, hospital pillows. Andy tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "He's been a bit indignant at your absence."

The small, soft weight settled easily into her arms. Beneath the little blue and white striped hat, there was a soft down of dark hair. He was perfectly pink, and well formed. His nose wrinkled and twitched when she drew her finger down the small, rounded bud. "_Andy_," she whispered his name and leaned in to him. "What did we do?"

"The impossible." His lips brushed her ear. "We're good at that." Andy nuzzled her cheek, his hands stroked her arms.

"You know, I think I'm starting to believe that." She smiled up at him, kissing him gently before her attention was drawn back to child in her arms. Sharon loosened the blanket, needing to see him. The action woke him. His eyes, deep, darkest blue fluttered open. He frowned at her, drawing a chuckle. "Well, hello Mr. Flynn," she drawled.

"Nah, that's all you," Andy rumbled beside her.

"Hmm." She stroked a finger down a tiny cheek. He was so small, but built in long lines. He would be tall, like his father. He was staring back at her, and she knew his newborn eyes wouldn't be able to focus yet. "Hi." Moisture filled her eyes. Her teeth scraped across her bottom lip. There was a ritual that she had completed with each of her children as she had held them the first time. "You are safe, you are wanted, and you are so loved." Sharon felt her husband's arms tighten around her and she lifted a hand to his cheek, while their son stretched and yawned in her arms.

He was wrong. _Now_ he'd never seen her look more beautiful. Hair a tousled mess, face pale, makeup mostly gone, the lines around her eyes and mouth more defined. Even with the stressful turn the day had taken, she was now flushed with a maternal warmth he'd only glimpsed previously. Andy touched his lips to her shoulder, while she tucked the blanket around their son again. "He needs a name," he said quietly.

"That he does," she agreed with a smile. "Flynn junior has a ring to it, but I'm not sure that it's going to suffice long term."

"Probably not," he chuckled quietly. "We don't want him living up to too many namesake habits." He reached around her and touched a tiny hand. It curled around the tip of his index finger. "What do you think?"

"Oh, I agree. We don't want him picking up too many habits," she drawled. "There are a several, though, that wouldn't be too bad." She leaned her head against his. "I still like Steven." Sharon studied the baby in her arms, and then she smiled. She suspected his eyes would turn brown, they were awfully dark, even if they were currently blue. Her smile curved wider, brightening, when it occurred to her. "Ian Andrew Flynn," she said succinctly. Ian had been one of Andy's suggestions, she had liked it, and it seemed to fit.

"Yeah?" His brows lifted in surprise. They hadn't discussed any derivatives of his own name thrown in. He grinned widely. "I think I like that." He pressed a kiss to her lips. "I like that a lot."

"So do I," she murmured. "I think it's perfect."

"I love you," he told her. "Thank you. For taking a chance. Even if it turned out a bit different than we thought."

"That goes both ways, Andy," she replied. "I know I'm not always easy. I can be pretty difficult, and you keep coming back. Thank _you_."

"Loving you is the easy part," he rumbled. "Not having you, that'd be hard. You're not difficult, Sharon. You're just you. I love it all. Even the rules," he added with a grin.

Her lips were soft against his. _I love you_, she mouthed against them, and leaned her head against his shoulder again.

They sat like that for a few minutes longer. Until the desperate need to just be together passed. Andy slipped quietly from the bed to step down the hall and let the others knew that she was awake. When he returned, he had the kids with him. "So, guess who dropped in while you were asleep…"

"Mom." Charlotte hurried in to the room and moved to the bed. Her thin, willowy form bent, and she clung gently to her. "We were so worried."

"I'm fine," she assured her. Sharon drew back and cupped her daughter's cheek. "I can't believe you're here. Oh, I've missed you."

"Hey lady." Ricky had gone to the other side of the bed. He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "So we leave you unsupervised for a few months, and this is what happens. You need a keeper."

"You could be right." She gripped his arm, smiling beautifully up at him. "I'm glad you're here, honey." Sharon glanced around the room and quickly found Rusty, waiting awkwardly at the foot of her bed. She tilted her head at him. "It's okay, honey." She held out her arm, while she kept the baby cradled in the other, and beckoned him over.

He glanced at the other two, but moved over quickly. His hands were tucked into his pockets, but he pulled them out when he joined Charlotte beside her. "You're okay?"

"I am," she assured him, her smile softening. "It's fine, Rusty." It only took a bit of gentle prodding, but he bent and she curled her arm around her. He clung, more tightly than Charlotte had, but he was mindful. She stroked his back. "I'm sorry I frightened you," she whispered.

Rusty exhaled as he stood back. "I think he's right," He nodded at her son. "You need a keeper." His hands found their way back into his pockets. His gaze shifted to the baby. "Looks like Flynn. Only, bald."

"Wait until he's scowling," Andy smirked. "Looks like his mother."

She made a face at him while her children laughed. "Where's Nicole?"

"She had to relieve the sitter. Jake is out of town, she'll come back tomorrow. It's okay, she got to see him," he nodded to the baby and smiled. "I called her. She's glad you're okay, sends all her love."

"Nathan?" She asked gently, while lifting the baby to her shoulder. He tucked his legs beneath him and she lay her cheek against his head, while rubbing his back.

Andy shook his head. "Nah, but it's alright. I didn't expect him to answer."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Yeah," he said, shrugged. "Me too. But, you know, it's his choice."

"I know," Sharon said. That didn't make it easy, especially on Andy. "Well, I can trust then that everyone has met everyone," she looked at her children again.

"I think so." Charlotte tilted her head and grinned. "Met the stepdad."

"Check," Ricky chirped.

"New brother number one," she hooked her thumb toward Rusty.

"Yep," Ricky nodded.

"New brother number two," Charlotte pointed at the baby.

"Indeed," Ricky smirked.

"We left home and mom got busy," She smirked teasingly.

Ricky laughed when their mother rolled her eyes at them. "You know, she did. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I mean, we suggested that she get a dog, or maybe a cat. I'm not sure she understood, Char."

"Next time we'll make a diagram," She replied.

"Yes," Andy drawled at his wife. "We've met. They've been bonding with Provenza. He likes them, I think he might want to adopt them."

"They are a laugh a minute." Sharon shook her head. "They're also not too old to find themselves sent to their rooms."

"What rooms," the three of them chorused, and then grinned.

"Don't remind me," Sharon winced. "Andy, you have to call that agent tomorrow. We need that house."

"I'll handle it," he promised her. "In the meantime, the guys and I are going to get the crib put together in our room. Ian can sleep in there for a while, until we get moved."

"You named him?" Charlotte bounced and looked between the two of them.

"We did," Sharon replied. "Ian Andrew Flynn." She leaned her head back and smiled tiredly at them.

That was Andy's cue. "Okay kids, let's let your mom get some rest. It's been a long day."

"He's right." Ricky touched her arm. "We'll come back tomorrow. We're at a hotel a few blocks away, so we're close by if you need us."

"Hm. Okay." She hated to see them go, but she was fading quickly. "Tomorrow then." She hugged both of them goodbye. Rusty stood nearby, he'd had his quotient of physical displays. "Goodnight. Love you."

Andy ushered them out, amidst goodbyes and walked them down the hall. He sent the team home too, assuring them that she was okay. Buzz was driving Rusty home, and he would return in his own car in the morning. When Andy returned to the room, he found his wife dozing, their son in her arms. His fingers, gentle against the curve of her cheek, had her eyes fluttering open. "Want me to take him?"

"No," she said quietly. "Not yet." She curled her hand around his wrist and gave it a tug.

"How do you feel?" He asked, when she winced at they shifted her in the bed again so that he could join her.

"Aches," She admitted. "Whatever they gave me hasn't worn off completely. I'm okay, Andy." Sharon settled against his shoulder, baby still tucked against her chest and let her eyes close again.

He stroked her back, and his other hand settled over hers against their son's bottom. Andy tipped his head back and let his own eyes drift. They couldn't make it a habit, sleeping with him cradled between them, but for tonight, tonight it was just fine. Tonight, nothing else mattered at all.


	8. Chapter 8

Everything She Does - Chapter 8

by Kadi

Rated: T

* * *

On the day that Andy carried his wife and son home from the hospital, three full days after his birth, he surprised her with the gift from their squad. The crib, as it turned out, remained in its box. The team had combined their resources and bought a matching bassinet, in the same dark cherry wood that Sharon had chosen for the crib, and trimmed in blue and white gingham. It fit perfectly at the foot of their bed, and would more than suffice until they'd gotten moved in to their new home - which the realtor assured them would happen by the end of the month.

Sharon's children stayed until their mother was released from the hospital, and then they both had to, regretfully, return to their own jobs and lives. They left with promises to return soon, and as much as she loved them, missed them, and loved having them there, it was much quieter without them. Settling in with a new baby was an adjustment, more so after a certain age, and was much easier to do without all of the extra bodies crowding the condo in a constant rotation of visitors. After the first two days, the excitement, thankfully, declined.

Andy had planned on only taking a week to be home with his family upon the baby's birth, but with the circumstances surrounding Ian's sudden arrival, he had extended that time to two weeks. Paternity leave, he'd gotten some ribbing on that one, but had shrugged it off. Jealous, he told them, and couldn't imagine how they wouldn't be. Especially when he watched his wife sashay through the condo in a pair of shorts and one of his dress shirts, or a pair of leggings and his shirt. That appeared to become her staple in their post pregnancy world. The shirts were loose and comfortable on her, the buttons provided perfectly easy access for young Mister Flynn when he was hungry and without much patience, which occurred every two hours and without fail. They could set an alarm by him.

Andy simply smirked when the baby quieted and a receiving blanket was drawn over her shoulder. "That's my boy."

Sharon rolled her eyes at him. "You are incorrigible." She curled a leg beneath her where she sat on the sofa with the baby, a pillow supporting her arm. Home almost a week now, she was mending well. She was still sore, and tired easily, but every day was better than the last. She patted her son's bottom in a slow rhythm while he nursed. Already he was growing by leaps and bounds, changing each day. She was seeing more of his father in him every day.

"I'm right." He continued to grin while he finished folding freshly washed clothes out of a basket. "How can one small person generate so much stuff in such a short time." Andy shook his head.

She laughed. "I know, I'd forgotten." Her eyes glittered with amusement. "Although it would help if you'd remember to get the diaper on him _before_ he has a chance to—"

"Yeah, yeah," he waved a hand at her. "Give a guy a break. It's been a while. He likes it better when you do it anyway." Andy tilted his head and grinned playfully at her. "All those years in Internal Affairs, made you so good at cleaning up sh—"

"Andy." Her warning look quieted him. Her eyes were sparkling though. "Language."

"Right," he sighed. "Workin' on that." He hefted the basket off the table and carried it toward their room. On his way he tripped over the edge of the infant swing. "Damnit. That realtor is getting a bad review!"

Sharon shook her head and laughed quietly as he continued to grumble and curse his way down the hall. "Yes, that's your daddy," she told her son. "You'll get used to him." Her son's eyes were open, and he didn't seem to care about anything but getting his belly filled. He grunted while he suckled. "Oh, you're his alright," she decided. The front door opened and Rusty stepped in to the apartment, his book bag drawn over his shoulder. When he saw her, he grimaced and turned. Sharon snickered and readjusted the blanket. "I'm covered, you're safe."

"It's still freaky." He turned back around and walked toward the kitchen. He dropped his bag on the table. "What do we have to eat?"

Teenagers. Sharon tilted her head and smiled affectionately. Somethings in their life had remained a constant. Rusty was the _most_ constant. "I don't know, honey. There hasn't been time for any grocery shopping. There should still be money in the jar, or in my purse, order something if you like."

Rusty rooted around until he found an apple that still looked crisp. "We can do that, I can go to the store tomorrow. What do you want?" He pulled open a drawer and took out a stack of takeout menus. "I think I'm done on pizza for a while."

"Hm. Me too." She rocked slowly from side to side with the baby. "I don't know, Rusty. I'm not very hungry. I'm sure whatever you pick will be fine." Her appetite was coming in fits and starts. The same had happened with her older children. She wouldn't want anything, and then suddenly she would be starving. It was just an odd side effect of the recent birth and breastfeeding, for her at the very least.

The teenager rolled his eyes and paged through menus. When Flynn appeared again he held them up. "Chinese, Thai, or Greek?"

Andy thought about it for a minute and considered his wife. The Thai would be too spicy, it would upset Ian's stomach. "Greek," he deciding, knowing that the smells from the Chinese had upset _her_ stomach while she was pregnant, and those memories would still be too fresh. When she smiled at him, he knew he'd chosen correctly, even if she had no preference at present.

"Greek it is." Rusty rooted his phone out of his pocket and flipped open the menu. He knew everyone's preferences.

"How was work," Sharon asked. He'd taken the internship at the County morgue through the summer, and it had given him the chance for independence, but he still got to see members of the team when they dropped in to speak to Morales.

"It was okay," He shrugged. "I filed, I answered phones. Doctor Morales let me put on toe tags, it was great." When Sharon's eyes widened he grinned. "Kidding."

"Hormones are still a factor here," Andy told him. "I'm not saving you if she's provoked." He opened the sterilizer and started taking out baby bottles, lining them on the counter. Sharon preferred to nurse, but she was putting back reserve too, which allowed her to sleep, shower, or otherwise rest while someone else held and fed the baby.

"Dude." Rusty laughed at him. "You're such a house husband."

"Dude," Flynn shot back. "You're such a _grounded_."

"I can't be grounded for making an observation," Rusty replied with a grin. "You do laundry, you do dishes, you're like, doing things with bottles. House husband."

"You can be grounded for getting on my nerves," Andy decided, rolling his eyes. Sharon didn't like mess, she didn't like clutter, and he didn't want her up trying to take care of it while she was recovering. Although, truth be told, he didn't like the clutter either.

"I'm not sure that's an appropriate reason," Rusty shook his head. "Besides, I'm eighteen. Old for grounding."

"You're in my house," Flynn stated with a smirk.

"It's not really a house, it's a condo, more of an apartment actually," the teenager continued, eyes dancing with amusement. "It's also sort of hers, and she's not grounding me."

"_She_ is not getting involved," Sharon said. She shifted the baby to her other side and he squawked at the interruption. "Oh, I know," she clucked her tongue at him. "You're such a Flynn." She continued to ignore the other two men in her life while she adjusted the blanket again, concealing her from Rusty's view.

"The only thing saving you right now is the fact that you've got the menus and I'm starving," Flynn decided. "Order the food and I'll go easy on you."

"We'll call it a draw for now," Rusty decided and began dialing.

"We'll call it thick in here." Sharon stood up with the baby. "Come on mister man, it's quieter in the bedroom. We'll leave them to their petty, immature squabbling." She shot a look at both of them as she left the room, but there was a smile playing at her lips.

"Busted." Rusty grinned.

"Yep." Flynn took a bottle cap and a nipple out of the sterilizer and stared at the nipple. "What the hell is up with this?"

"It's inside out," Rusty decided.

"Well, I can see that. How the hell did that happen?" He sighed. "I'm getting too old for this."

The teenager snickered. "Little late to figure that out, isn't it?"

Andy shot a look at him. "_Rusty_."

"I'm dialing, I'm dialing," but he continued to smirk.

The following day, Rusty and Andy took the shopping list Sharon put together for them and went out to replenish everything they'd allowed themselves to run short on. Along with a few other items they were needing, both for the baby and for herself. While they were gone, Gavin stopped by.

He texted Sharon when he arrived, not wanting to wake the baby by knocking. She had him come on back to the bedroom. The baby was laying on his back, in the center of the bed, while she lay on her side beside him. He was kicking and gurgling, pumping his little fists while he tried to make sense of the shapes and blurs around him.

"Hey sweetie." Gavin kissed her cheek before rounding the bed. He toed out of his shoes and lay down on the other side of the baby. "Wow." He'd been out of town when the baby was born, and then knowing Sharon as he did, gave her a few days before dropping by. "Well, you did it again. Isn't he a beauty." He propped his head in his hand and took a tiny fist between his index and thumb. "Hello, Ian. I'm Uncle Gavin. You and I are going to be very acquainted. I'm the one you're going to run to when your mommy is being difficult and daddy is taking her side so he can continue to enjoy her goodies."

"Gavin." Sharon rolled her eyes at him, but she grinned. "How was Florence?" He always made a trip to Italy during the summer months.

"Beautiful as always." Gavin regarded her with his shrewd, blue-eyed gaze. "It's still my second favorite place on the planet." She looked tired, but that was expected. Her body was still soft and round in its post-baby state, but the weight was dropping off rapidly. Her wildly curling hair was pulled up into a ponytail. She was wearing makeup today, he could see the faint traces of a light, careful hand. That meant she was feeling good. "Well, darling," he decided. "I don't know how the rest of this is working out for you, but you look great."

"Liar." She snorted. "But you're sweet for trying." Sharon rubbed her son's belly, smiling when he gurgled in response and kicked his legs again. She mimicked his position and propped her head in her hand. "You missed all the excitement."

"I heard." He gave her a concerned look. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Your Lieutenant assured me you'd be fine, though, or I'd have flown right back. Quite the ordeal."

"I turned out okay in the end," she told him. "Much better than we could have imagined." Her gaze drifted to her son and a soft smile curved her face. "He's perfect. I don't know how we managed to get so lucky. Gavin, it feels like a dream. Which is odd, I wouldn't be this exhausted if it were a dream. Not to mention everything else I'm feeling at the moment…"

"No details please." He made a face at her. "Well, tell me something. Does it still feel like you're living in a farce?"

Her lips pursed. She looked at the baby for a moment while she considered. "Well, if you'd met our real estate agent, you wouldn't ask that. Although that might be the price to pay for finding the perfect house. No," she said at last. "It doesn't feel like a farce. I think I'm rather enjoying it, now. I forgot how hard it was, having a new baby, and everything that went along with it."

"That's only because it has been so very, very _long_," Gavin teased with a grin. Her eyes narrowed at him, but with the baby between them, he knew that he was safe. "Starting over isn't easy, not at any age. It was always going to be hard. You've got help?"

She knew what he was asking and she smiled. "Yes. He's been wonderful. He and Rusty have gone grocery shopping, and they'll be back soon. He's taking very good care of me, Gavin. It's not like the others." Sharon's smile softened. "He hardly lets me lift a finger at all. House husband, that's what Rusty likes to call him. It's going to be different when he goes back to work."

The way she pouted made Gavin chuckle. "You're spoiled. That's what he's done, he's spoiled you rotten. Good," he decided. "It's about time that someone did, and that you let them. I'm glad that it's working out. Now then, I think it's time we talk about further prevention, this little darling is absolutely adorable, but I don't think he needs anymore siblings."

Sharon laughed. "You couldn't be more right. Trust me, we're being far more careful from now on." She shook her head and bent, drawing a tiny foot to her mouth. "I love them all, but I am _done_."

"Good to know." He smirked. "My nerves can't take it. You're horribly neurotic when you think you're pregnant."

"You're nerves can't take it?" She snorted again. "Try experiencing it from my side of things."

Gavin heaved a sigh. "This is one of the things you're going to have to learn my little friend," he said to the baby. "Your mother always thinks that _she _is right."

"That is because she is," Sharon appended.

"See," He shook his head. "Stick with me, my love. I'll teach you Armani, Hugo Boss, Fossil, and how to circumvent all of your mother's arguments with better summations of your own. By the time your five, you'll have a way out of timeout for every situation."

"Yes," Sharon laughed. "Because considering his parentage, that is _exactly_ what he needs to learn."

"Ooh," Gavin's eyes lit up. "I hadn't thought of that. Hot-tempered meets stubbornly shrewd. You're going to be a lawyer," he decided. "You're going to work for me. You will be the shining star of my future successes. I love it!"

"Gavin." Andy stood at the open door, shaking his head. "Why are you always in my bed?" He walked over and placed a paper sack on the table beside Sharon.

"Now that is the question, isn't it?" Gavin flashed a wildly teasing smirk at him. "I happen to like your bed, you hot hunk of—ouch!" He winced, because Sharon had pinched him. "You're always trying to bruise me," he whined.

"Behave," she instructed with a pointed look.

"Oh, he loves me." Gavin sniffed. He pushed up from the bed and slipped his shoes back on. "I can't stay, hon. I only came to see the mini-Flynn. We'll do lunch, very soon. He needs his first shopping experience." He swept a hand down his tailored shirt and slacks. "Well, I'm off. Toodles."

"You know, "Andy said. "I'm going to get a complex if I keep coming home and finding you in bed with another man."

"I can see where that would be a problem," she smiled up at him. "Thing is, there are only a couple of guys I want in my bed, and the other one is already here. Why don't you come join us."

"Best offer I've had all day. Especially after getting kicked out of the kitchen. You've brainwashed the kid." He climbed into bed, in the spot left open by Gavin's departure. Andy leaned across their son and kissed her, before his attention was drawn to the squirming bundle. "You're wide awake, aren't you?"

"Mmhm." Sharon's lips curved. "I'm hoping that means he'll take a longer nap later. Doubtful, he does like to eat regularly, but if he takes a longer nap, then I can take a long, hot shower, and someone can scrub my back."

"Hey." Andy took one of his son's tiny feet and gave it a gentle wiggle. "Did you hear that? Help your old man out, yeah? Dad needs some mommy time." The baby made a squawking sound, waved his fist again. "Gee, thanks a lot. You know, they were mine before they were yours. Let's talk custody arrangements."

Sharon snorted with quiet laughter at the utter ridiculousness of Andy debating custody of her body with their son. She lay her head on the pillow, watching them with bright, sparkling eyes. She hugged her pillow, and against her own will, her eyes began to drift closed while she listened to the cheerful rumble of her husband's voice and their son's quiet gurgling. She was going to comment, but her entire body just felt too heavy. She quietly enjoyed the interchange while her body relaxed.

When Andy realized that she had fallen asleep, he scooped the baby up and left the bed. "Come on pal," he said quietly. "Mom needs a nap. Let's go check out the food situation." He tucked his son against his chest and carried him to the outer rooms, allowing Sharon to rest. In the kitchen, Rusty was still putting away groceries, arranging them _just so_. Andy lay the baby in his small vibrating seat on the table, and turned him so that he was facing the kitchen. Then he returned to emptying bags while Rusty stored everything away. "Asleep," he said, at Rusty's questioning look.

"That was quick." Gavin had only just left.

"She's exhausted." Andy knew the feeling, but could only imagine how Sharon was feeling. "It's alright, kid. We can handle it on our own for a couple of hours. What do you think, Ian?" They both glanced over and the baby was yawling widely. "See. Piece of cake."

Between the two of them they managed to get the kitchen put back to rights pretty quickly. Afterward, Rusty withdrew to his room while Flynn started dinner. It would be the first home cooked meal they'd had since the baby came home from the hospital.

It was those scents, permeating the apartment that greeted Sharon upon waking. She stretched slowly, and rolled onto her back. The room was quiet, and a glance beside her and to the bassinet indicated she was alone. She rose, ran her fingers through her hair and took another moment or two for herself before she made her way down the hall. Rusty was in his usual spot, laptop in front of him while he concentrated on an online chess game. She rounded the sofa, expecting to find the baby in the small infant swing in front of it. It was empty. She found him, instead, tucked into the crook of his father's arm. Andy had his feet up on the coffee table, crossed at the ankles, with a baseball game on the widescreen. Her fingers combed through his hair as she joined him on the sofa. "Someone looks content."

"We're watching the Giants lose." Andy grinned. "He's got it figured out already." He lifted the baby toward her when she reached for him. "You're just in time. He was just starting to squirm."

"Oh, I see." She lifted the baby to her shoulder and rubbed his back. "What do you want, hm?" He began to root and she grinned. "Ah. Yes, you are your father's son."

"Yep." Andy turned the volume of the game down and curled his arm around her shoulders. "We talked it out, though. Time management. Between the hours of six and nine, he's allowed primary custodial ownership. After nine, all bets are off. They're mine."

"I'm sitting right here," Rusty groaned. "Really? We had this talk. _Sharon_."

"Our apologies." Sharon smirked. "Lieutenant Flynn will henceforth refrain from such seriously grievous topics of discussion while in your general vicinity." She delivered the edict with an elbow driven playfully into his side.

"Sorry. Forgot." He grinned. "Old age, you know."

Sharon reached for the receiving blanket laying in the swing and drew it over her shoulder. She arranged the baby beneath it, while shooting a look at her husband. "Do try and remember. Stop tormenting the teenager." At his pout, she rolled her eyes. "At least with topics about my person."

"Deal." Andy kissed the top of her head. His hand toyed with the ends of her hair, twining the waving locks around his fingers while he settled back again, attention once more on the game, at least in part. "Dinner is in the oven," he told her. "Roast for you and the kid, vegetables and rice."

"Hmm. Smells good." She tucked in to his side, draped her legs over his and got comfortable. Sharon lay her head against his shoulder and sighed quietly, content herself. "I think maybe, a shower first would be even better," she said quietly, glancing up at him with shining eyes.

"That can be arranged." His thumb swept the side of her neck. A smile was playing at his lips.

Rusty rolled his eyes at them. As if that wasn't obvious. He shook his head and decided to let it go, this time. Silence descended on the room and he turned his attention back to his game. When the baby squawked, obviously unhappy, he knew better than to look. Not if he didn't want to get flashed, not that he had ever actually seen _anything_, but Rusty wasn't risking it. The oven dinged and he stood up. "I've got it." When he returned from the kitchen a few minutes later, the living room was empty. "Gross." Rusty turned back in to the kitchen and decided to set the table.

Ian was asleep in the bassinet, belly full, and completely content. Andy waited until he was sure that he was completely out before he eased away, toward the bathroom. The shower was already running. He left the door cracked, so they would hear the baby, and quickly disrobed before sliding into the shower with his wife. His arms curled around her from behind. His lips landed against her neck. "Hi stranger."

"Hi yourself." She leaned back into the circle of his arms. "Missed you."

"Yes." His hands were sliding up and down her arms. They were limited on time, and really he only wanted to hold her. He reached for the bottle of the lightly scented, jasmine body wash she typically preferred. While his lips moved along the graceful column of her neck, his hands relearned the contours of her body. From the heavy weight of her breasts to the remaining swell of her stomach, and the thin red line which curved across her pelvis. When she turned in his arms, his head dropped and he captured her mouth with slow, languid kisses while he soaped up her back. When her hands dipped low, below his waist, he captured her wrists and turned her again. Andy kissed the back of her neck and reached for her shampoo. He had her humming in his arms while his fingers massaged her scalp.

Afterward, when they'd both rinsed, he simply held her. Even if it was only half an hour to themselves, it was enough. They were face to face again, arms wrapped around one another. He kissed her lips, nose, and each eyelid. Both of their heads lifted, ears pricking toward the sound of a soft mewl. They looked at each other and smiled. This was their future, stolen moments here and there. Sharon lifted onto the balls of her feet and kissed him. "I'll get him," she murmured.

"No." Andy's hands swept down her back. "I've got him. Take a few more minutes." He kissed her again before withdrawing. "Too soon I'll be back at work, I'll miss out, and you'll have him alone."

"Thank you, honey." Her hand trailed across the back of his shoulders as he left the shower. Sharon tipped her head back beneath the spray and let it wash over her again. It was an interesting turn of events, the direction the year had taken. Just six months ago, she had stood in the same place, alone, as she was now, quietly sobbing tears of abject fear. Sharon drew her hair over her shoulder and tipped her head down, letting the water cascade over her back and shoulders. After only a moment longer, she reached out and stopped the shower.

From the half open door, she could hear her sons cries, and the quiet rumble of her husband's voice. Sharon pulled a towel around her body and waited, while the cries faded to mewls once more, and finally to nothing. While she used another towel on her hair, she peeked through the opening in the door. A smile tugged at her lips. Andy had managed to dry off and pull on a pair of boxers before Ian became too unhappy, and now had the baby cradled against his bare chest while he swayed in front of the bassinet with him. Ian was burrowed close and perfectly content, eyes drooping, and mouth working the pacifier. Their eyes met and she nudged the door further open with her hip. Sharon leaned against the door frame and continued to towel dry her hair. She left her hair damp, loose, and curling and walked into the bedroom. She stopped beside her husband. Her hand cupped the back of her son's head and she bent, a soft kiss placed against his brow. Then she leaned up and kissed his father. His arm curled around her, and they stood together, the three of them. They couldn't have foreseen this. They had tried, tried to look beyond the fear and the unknown.

"It's you." Andy mumbled against her ear, as though reading her thoughts. "You never give up. You never let go. You love until it tears you apart, and then love some more. It's _you_, Sharon. You trusted it, you prayed for it, and you made it happen."

"No," she whispered. "Don't put me on a pedestal, Andy. _We_ did this. We believed, we trusted it, and you held me while I prayed."

"Too late." He smiled and dropped another kiss on to her lips. "I don't think you're perfect, Sharon. I think you're prefect for me."

They had made a decision and had not looked back, feared for the worst, hoped for the best. Life had taken an unexpected turn. Terrifying in its radiance. Yet somehow, strangely, unexpectedly wonderful.

~_FIN_


End file.
